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$97 Million Awarded to Rural Electric Co-ops for Grid Resilience

The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), Georgia Transmission Corporation, and eleven rural electric utilities have been selected to negotiate contracts for over $97 million in federal funding from the Department of Energy’s Grid Resilience and Innovative Partnerships (GRIP) program to enhance grid resilience. The consortium will focus on completing...

Taylor River Hydropower Project Brings Clean Energy to Gunnison Valley

The Gunnison County Electric Association (GCEA) and Uncompahgre Valley Water Users Association (UVWUA) have completed the Taylor River Hydropower project, a 500-kilowatt hydroelectric facility at Taylor Park Dam. This $3.6 million project will generate enough clean energy to power approximately 500 local homes and businesses. GCEA aims to produce 5% of its energy locally through solar...

Biden Administration Announces $7.3 Billion Clean Energy Investment for Rural Communities

President Joe Biden and U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced over $7.3 billion in financing for rural electric cooperatives to support clean energy projects through the Empowering Rural America (New ERA) program, a component of the Inflation Reduction Act. The first round of selected projects (sixteen (16) projects in total) will reduce greenhouse gases by...

FERC Rejects Basin Electric’s Proposal for Special Crypto Mining Rate Schedules

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) rejected Basin Electric Power Cooperative’s proposal to create separate rate schedules for cryptocurrency operations, stating Basin failed to show that these operations posed more risk than other large energy loads. Basin argued that crypto mining could lead to stranded assets due to its transient nature, but FERC found insufficient...

Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corporation to Build 900-Megawatt Natural Gas Plant in Texas

Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corporation (AECC) plans to build a 900-megawatt natural gas generation facility in Morris County, Texas, beginning construction in 2026 and aiming for commercial operation by 2029. The facility will enhance reliability within the Southwest Power Pool regional transmission organization, providing efficient, low-emission energy to AECC’s 17...

NRECA Challenges EPA’s New Coal Ash Rule

The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) has filed a lawsuit with other utility groups challenging the EPA’s new rule on coal ash impoundments, arguing it imposes undue costs and could harm grid reliability. The rule, which expands regulations to include inactive sites and other previously unregulated areas, is criticized for being overly broad and potentially...

Oglethorpe Power Announces New Generation Projects to Support Georgia’s Rising Electricity Demands

Oglethorpe Power has approved the construction of two natural gas projects in Georgia: a state-of-the-art combined-cycle plant in Monroe County and a highly efficient combustion turbine unit in Talbot County. These two projects will help meet the growing energy demands of the electric cooperatives that Oglethorpe serves while prioritizing affordable and sustainable energy.

Electric Cooperative Tri-State Generation Acquires Solar Projects

The Colorado-based electric cooperative Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association has made its first purchases of renewable energy projects, acquiring the 145-MW Axial Basin Solar project and the 110-MW Dolores Canyon Solar installation. These acquisitions, along with other solar power agreements, aim to help Tri-State achieve 50% renewable energy use by its members by late...

Colorado Electric Cooperative Nears 90% Clean Energy Target with New Projects

Holy Cross Energy (HCE), a Colorado electric cooperative, is progressing toward its goal of achieving over 90% clean energy by 2025 and ultimately reaching 100% clean energy by 2030. Recent additions, like the Bronco Plains II Energy Center wind facility and Hunter Solar project, are bringing HCE closer to these targets, with expected cost savings of over $40 million for members over...

U.S. Department of Energy Commits $1.5 Billion to Restart Nuclear Power Plant in Michigan

The U.S. Department of Energy has announced a $1.5 billion “conditional commitment” to support the reopening of the Palisades nuclear power plant near South Haven, Michigan, after it shut down in May 2022. The loan will be provided to owner Holtec to restart the plant, which would be the first time a closed nuclear reactor is brought back online in U.S. history. The project...

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