EPA Regulations Threaten Coops
Posted on Dec 14, 2011 in Climate Change, Environmental, Legislative & Politics | Comments Off on EPA Regulations Threaten Coops
Emissions controls for coal-based generating units under current Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rulemakings may cause significant financial and reliability challenges for electric coops, according to the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA). Because of their small size, coops may not be considered priority customers by emissions control companies that supply...
Coops Join North Dakota in Coal Suit
Posted on Nov 3, 2011 in Legislative & Politics, Litigation, Regulation & Policy | Comments Off on Coops Join North Dakota in Coal Suit
The state of North Dakota and certain power industry participants, including Basin Electric Power Cooperative and Minnkota Power Cooperative, Inc., filed suit against the state of Minnesota. The plaintiffs contend that a Minnesota law restricting the importation of coal-generated power violates the U.S. Constitution and will result in higher electricity prices for Minnesota consumers....
Montana Senator Proposes Bill to Encourage Local Generation
Posted on Oct 27, 2011 in Financing, Legislative & Politics, Renewable Energy | Comments Off on Montana Senator Proposes Bill to Encourage Local Generation
In an effort to increase local energy production, U.S. Sen. Jon Tester introduced the Clean Transmission for Rural Communities Act, which broadens the electric power technologies eligible for municipal or cooperative bond financing. Renewable energy development, rural economic growth and new jobs are among the purported benefits of the bill. Read more here.
North Dakota Coops To Receive Flood Recovery Grants
Posted on Oct 20, 2011 in Legislative & Politics | Comments Off on North Dakota Coops To Receive Flood Recovery Grants
Two North Dakota electric cooperatives, Verendrye Electric Cooperative and Capital Electric Cooperative, will receive a total of $3.4 million in federal grants to help with flood recovery. The Federal Emergency Management Agency funds will be used to repair infrastructure. For more information, click here.
New York Legislation Opens New Service Areas to Coops
Posted on Oct 14, 2011 in Legislative & Politics, Regulation & Policy | Comments Off on New York Legislation Opens New Service Areas to Coops
Under the new law, the definition of “rural” has been changed to cover towns with up to 20,000 residents. Prior to this change, the limit in New York was 1,000 residents. Electric Co-op Today has the full story.
Obama Administration Announces Plan to Fast Track the CapX2020 Transmission Project
Posted on Oct 7, 2011 in Grid & Infrastructure, Innovation/Efficiency, Legislative & Politics, Project Development | Comments Off on Obama Administration Announces Plan to Fast Track the CapX2020 Transmission Project
The CapX2020 Project is one of the projects previously identified by the White House as essential to the modernization of the electric grid and the creation of jobs, and on Wednesday, October 6, the Administration announced plans to speed up the federal approval and permitting process. A spokesman for the CapX2020 Project sponsors, including Dairyland Power Cooperative, expressed his...
Hoover Dam Power Allocations Extended
Posted on Oct 4, 2011 in Legislative & Politics | Comments Off on Hoover Dam Power Allocations Extended
On Monday, the U.S. House of Representatives reauthorized the distribution of electricity from Hoover Dam for an additional 50 years. The bill put in place an agreement negotiated by Nevada and large power contract holders in Arizona and California. Under this agreement, large regional users will contribute 5 percent of their allocations to form a 100-megawatt pool of electricity...
New York Law Makes Room for Rural Electric Cooperatives
Posted on Sep 29, 2011 in Legislative & Politics, Project Development | Comments Off on New York Law Makes Room for Rural Electric Cooperatives
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo recently signed legislation that modifies the definition of “rural” and expands the geographic areas that may be served by rural electric cooperatives. The new definition conforms to the meaning adopted by the United States Department of Agriculture and lifts a restriction on rural coops to serve only customers within a city or village having a...
North Dakota Officials at Loggerheads with EPA over Air Pollution Rules
Posted on Sep 7, 2011 in Environmental, Legislative & Politics | Comments Off on North Dakota Officials at Loggerheads with EPA over Air Pollution Rules
North Dakota health officials are at an impasse with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on the best technology to reduce the air pollution of two coal-burning power plants in the Theodore Roosevelt National Park, one of which is operated by Minnkota Power Cooperative Inc. State regulators contend that the EPA’s preferred technology may not be effective and will be much costlier...
Nevada Coop Considers Plans to Export Green Power to California
Posted on Aug 19, 2011 in Grid & Infrastructure, Legislative & Politics, Renewable Energy | Comments Off on Nevada Coop Considers Plans to Export Green Power to California
Valley Electric Association, a coop based in Pahrump, Nevada, is developing plans to expand its transmission system to interconnect with the California Independent System Operator and to export renewable energy to California. The coop faces competition from Solar Express Transmission, and it is carefully considering the best way to move forward. The Las Vegas Review-Journal is...
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