Alabama Coops Hope to Benefit from Copper Theft Law
Posted on Jun 5, 2012 in Legislative & Politics | Comments Off on Alabama Coops Hope to Benefit from Copper Theft Law
Alabama’s electric coops, long fighting against copper theft, now have a valuable ally. The state just signed into law a new bill that targets the illegitimate recycling of copper, including a list of limits and requirements on the activity, which they hope will hinder all but the legitimate dealers of copper. Read the full story here.
Coops Call for Shipping Reforms
Posted on May 31, 2012 in Legislative & Politics, Regulation & Policy | Comments Off on Coops Call for Shipping Reforms
Several coops and the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) are among the signatories to a letter from rail shippers to U.S. House Transportation Committee members requesting support for freight industry reforms. The proposed changes would be included in an extensive surface transportation bill and would aid shippers that face high rates and poor service from a...
Lawmakers Press for Details on EPA Proposal to Cap Emissions
Posted on May 21, 2012 in Climate Change, Environmental, Legislative & Politics, Regulation & Policy | Comments Off on Lawmakers Press for Details on EPA Proposal to Cap Emissions
On Thursday, Representatives Fred Upton and Ed Whitfield sent a letter to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson asking a host of questions regarding the agency’s Carbon Pollution Standard for New Power Plants as well its plans for future regulations on utilities. In March, the EPA released a proposal to set the country’s first-ever limits on greenhouse gas emissions from new...
Lake Worth Approves Settlement with Florida Coop
Posted on May 16, 2012 in Legislative & Politics, Litigation | Comments Off on Lake Worth Approves Settlement with Florida Coop
Lake Worth City Commissioners approved an $850,000 settlement on Tuesday to end the city’s lawsuit against the Florida Municipal Power Agency. The settlement must still be accepted by FMPA, the Orlando-based power cooperative that supplies electricity to Lake Worth Utilities. The dispute arose from gas-transmission fees that FMPA quit paying in 2009 after the City Commission...
Montana Senators Seek Upgrades to State’s Power Grid
Posted on Apr 30, 2012 in Grid & Infrastructure, Land Use, Legislative & Politics, Reliability | Comments Off on Montana Senators Seek Upgrades to State’s Power Grid
Two Montana senators, Max Baucus and Jon Tester, are asking U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu to create a timeline for implementing upgrades to the state’s power grid in order to aid cooperatives. The plan, if implemented, would affect the Bonneville Power Administration and the Western Area Power Administration, which serve electric coops that provide electricity to more than...
House Committee Blocks Funding for Energy Department Plans for PMAs
Posted on Apr 30, 2012 in Climate Change, Environmental, Legislative & Politics, Regulation & Policy, Renewable Energy | Comments Off on House Committee Blocks Funding for Energy Department Plans for PMAs
On April 25, the House Appropriations Committee approved by voice vote an amendment to the fiscal 2013 Energy and Water spending bill that blocks funding for proposed changes that would affect power marketing administrations (PMAs) and their customers. In testimony before the House Committee, NRECA CEO Glenn English raised concerns that the proposed plans would impose high costs on...
Senate Agriculture Committee Approves RESPA
Posted on Apr 30, 2012 in Legislative & Politics, Regulation & Policy | Comments Off on Senate Agriculture Committee Approves RESPA
The Rural Energy Savings Program Act (RESPA), sometimes referred to as the Conrad-Lugar Amendment, includes four policy improvements designed to help rural families, farms and small businesses save money on their energy bills. Generally, the proposed legislation: (1) authorizes coops to provide low-interest loans to members for energy efficiency improvements; (2) changes the...
House Bill Offers Coop Lenders Relief from Dodd-Frank
Posted on Apr 26, 2012 in Financing, Legislative & Politics, Regulation & Policy | Comments Off on House Bill Offers Coop Lenders Relief from Dodd-Frank
The Small Business Credit Availability Act passed the U.S. House of Representatives this week and moves on to the Senate. The bill would revise the Dodd-Frank Act to exempt smaller banks, including those offering financing to rural coops, from certain provisions of the major regulatory reform law. With less red tape and new costs to deal with, smaller banks and similar financial...
Five New Copper Theft Bills Signed Into Law
Posted on Apr 23, 2012 in Grid & Infrastructure, Legislative & Politics | Comments Off on Five New Copper Theft Bills Signed Into Law
Governors in Georgia, West Virginia, Iowa, Washington and Kentucky have signed copper theft bills into law. The Washington bill was partially vetoed by Gov. Christine Gregoire who objected to the creation of a 24-member task force to study the issue of metal theft and make recommendations to the legislature. Gov. Gregoire did, however, approve the parts of the bill that make it...
New York Regulator Approves Low-Cost Power Incentive Deal for Aerospace Company
Posted on Apr 23, 2012 in Energy Savings Programs, Financing, Legislative & Politics | Comments Off on New York Regulator Approves Low-Cost Power Incentive Deal for Aerospace Company
The New York Power Authority (NYPA) Board of Trustees has approved an allocation of 2,300 kilowatts of low-cost power for the Amphenol Aerospace Operations of Sidney, New York. The $20 million incentive package to Amphenol is intended to keep the company in Sidney and save nearly 1,000 jobs. The power allocation request was submitted to NYPA by the Delaware County Electric...
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