Senators Push to Ensure Eligibility of Cooperatives in Paycheck Protection Program
Posted on Apr 28, 2020 in COVID-19, Legislative & Politics | Comments Off on Senators Push to Ensure Eligibility of Cooperatives in Paycheck Protection Program
U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and John Hoeven (R-N.D.) led a bipartisan group of senators in urging the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Small Business Administration (SBA) to clarify that rural electric cooperatives are eligible for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which was created under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act to help small businesses...
New Congressional Aid Package May Help Coops
Posted on Apr 27, 2020 in Legislative & Politics | Comments Off on New Congressional Aid Package May Help Coops
Lawmakers approved an additional $320 billion in funds for the Paycheck Protection Program, for which some cooperatives may qualify. The funds may be forgiven if used to keep employees on the payroll and other designated purposes.
Aid for Coops Included in Coronavirus Federal Relief Bill
Posted on Apr 3, 2020 in COVID-19, Economic Downturn, Financing, Legislative & Politics | Comments Off on Aid for Coops Included in Coronavirus Federal Relief Bill
The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) urged Congress to include aid for electric cooperatives and their consumer-members as part of the federal relief efforts aimed at helping the struggling economy during the COVID-19 pandemic. The $2 trillion federal coronavirus relief bill passed by Congress offers millions in aid to consumers struggling to pay their utility...
NRECA Urges Congress to Include Aid for Coops in CARES Act
Posted on Mar 25, 2020 in Legislative & Politics | Comments Off on NRECA Urges Congress to Include Aid for Coops in CARES Act
The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), in a letter to congressional leaders, requested that aid for electric coops be included in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
Electric Cooperatives Adjust Due to Coronavirus Pandemic
Posted on Mar 24, 2020 in Legislative & Politics, Regulation & Policy, Reliability | Comments Off on Electric Cooperatives Adjust Due to Coronavirus Pandemic
As Americans reduce direct contact with one another to slow the spread of the coronavirus, generation and transmission cooperatives are working to keep electricity flowing to homes, businesses and institutions. For example, Great River Energy is giving the majority of its administrative staff the option of working remotely and has reduced staffing in its facilities to essential minimum...
FCC Chairman Looks at Michigan’s Rural Broadband
Posted on Feb 12, 2020 in Broadband, Legislative & Politics | Comments Off on FCC Chairman Looks at Michigan’s Rural Broadband
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai visited Michigan to get a firsthand look at Midwest Energy & Communications’ (MEC) broadband initiative. Pai’s trip preceded the vote on the rules for the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF), a $20.4 billion reverse auction aimed at bringing high-speed internet to the country’s unserved communities. Pai heralded MEC’s...
CEO of Oregon Coop Warns of Impact of Federal Government Delays on Wildfire Risk
Posted on Jan 30, 2020 in Legislative & Politics, Regulation & Policy | Comments Off on CEO of Oregon Coop Warns of Impact of Federal Government Delays on Wildfire Risk
Dave Markham, President and CEO of Central Electric Cooperative, Inc., an electric cooperative in Redmond, Oregon, testified before two subcommittees of the House Energy and Commerce Committee regarding how delays in federal action have affected the wildfire mitigation efforts of electric cooperatives located near federal...
House Passes RURAL Act
Posted on Dec 18, 2019 in Legislative & Politics | Comments Off on House Passes RURAL Act
On Tuesday, the House of Representatives passed the Revitalizing Underdeveloped Rural Areas and Lands Act of 2019, the RURAL Act. The RURAL Act will protect more than 900 electric coops from the risk of losing their tax-exempt status when they accept government grants for disaster relief, broadband service and other programs that benefit coop members. The Senate is expected to pass the...
Kansas Coop Contemplates Construction of Coal Plant
Posted on Nov 15, 2019 in Climate Change, Legislative & Politics, Regulation & Policy, Reliability | Comments Off on Kansas Coop Contemplates Construction of Coal Plant
Sunflower Electric Power Corp. (“Sunflower”), an electric power cooperative in Kansas, plans to build the Holcomb 2 Plant, an approximately 895 MW coal plant. However, Sunflower must begin construction of the coal plant by March 2020 or it will lose its state construction permit. Against the backdrop of current prevailing politics regarding coal-fired plants and the steady retirement...
NRECA CEO Promotes Diverse Electric Generation Options
Posted on Oct 31, 2019 in Legislative & Politics, Regulation & Policy | Comments Off on NRECA CEO Promotes Diverse Electric Generation Options
In testimony before the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee of Congress, Jim Matheson, CEO of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), stressed the importance of a diverse mix of fuel, including coal and natural gas, to provide affordable electricity rates from electric cooperatives serving rural communities. Jim Matheson was one of six witnesses to testify at...
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