Iowa Legislators Back Coops Revisiting Denial of FEMA Aid
Posted on Jan 14, 2014 in Legislative & Politics, Regulation & Policy, Reliability | Comments Off on Iowa Legislators Back Coops Revisiting Denial of FEMA Aid
After being denied aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) following an April 2013 ice storm, several Iowa coops, as well as the State of Iowa itself, appealed the agency’s decision. The Iowa congressional delegation has asked that FEMA revisit the decision, which Chuck Grassley, U.S. Senator from Iowa, says resulted from an “abrupt change of policy.” Click here for...
Iowa Appeals FEMA Decision
Posted on Dec 26, 2013 in Grid & Infrastructure, Litigation, Regulation & Policy | Comments Off on Iowa Appeals FEMA Decision
As last reported by the Sutherland Coop Team on October 2, 2013, the state of Iowa has appealed a decision by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to forego additional disaster relief funding for Iowa Lakes Electric Cooperative, Lyon Rural Electric Cooperative, Osceola Electric Cooperative and Sanborn Electric and Telecommunications Utility. The rural coops requested an...
Coop Sparks Ballot Fight Over Oregon RPS
Posted on Dec 26, 2013 in Legislative & Politics, Regulation & Policy, Renewable Energy | Comments Off on Coop Sparks Ballot Fight Over Oregon RPS
Oregon’s Umatilla Electric Cooperative (Umatilla) is challenging the state’s renewable energy portfolio standard (RPS), hoping to revise the standards to allow hydropower to count towards meeting the requirements. Without this revision, the coop plans to add an initiative on the ballot that could gut the law. The challenge is raising debate about whether the coop is strong arming or...
NRECA: NIST Cyber Security Framework Should Consider Needs of Coops
Posted on Dec 26, 2013 in Grid & Infrastructure, Regulation & Policy, Reliability, Technology | Comments Off on NRECA: NIST Cyber Security Framework Should Consider Needs of Coops
The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) is urging the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to keep in mind the varying organizations and structures of companies operating in the energy sector when developing its Cyber Security Framework (Framework), a project undertaken in response to a February 2013 executive order issued by President Obama. The...
Dust Settles after Utility Fight with BNSF
Posted on Dec 17, 2013 in Environmental, Innovation/Efficiency, Legislative & Politics, Regulation & Policy | Comments Off on Dust Settles after Utility Fight with BNSF
The verdict is in: Coal shippers led by Arkansas Electric Cooperative will have to comply with BNSF Railway’s (BNSF) loading instructions aimed at suppressing coal dust emissions from Powder River Basin coal trains after the Surface Transportation Board (Board) ruled the requirements were permissible. Since 2009, utilities have fought the requirement to apply surfactants to their coal...
USDA to Provide More than $1.8 Billion in Funding
Posted on Dec 16, 2013 in Financing, Grid & Infrastructure, Innovation/Efficiency, Legislative & Politics, Project Development, Regulation & Policy, Reliability, Renewable Energy, Technology | Comments Off on USDA to Provide More than $1.8 Billion in Funding
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced on Friday that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) will provide over $1.8 billion to fund electric utility infrastructure improvements in 25 states and one territory. The USDA-funded improvements include smart grid and renewable energy projects and the building or improvement of more than 6,500 miles of transmission lines. ...
Kentucky PSC Grants Rehearing on Big Rivers
Posted on Dec 13, 2013 in Litigation, Rates, Regulation & Policy, Reliability | Comments Off on Kentucky PSC Grants Rehearing on Big Rivers
The Kentucky Public Service Commission will reconsider the revenues Big Rivers Electric Corporation (Big Rivers) is positioned to receive for its continued operation of a power plant required by the Midcontinent Independent System Operator for reliability reasons. Big Rivers’ opponents claim that the coop understated the revenues it will receive from continued operations by roughly...
Vermont Coop Ordered to Stop Net Metering Program
Posted on Dec 13, 2013 in Energy Savings Programs, Legislative & Politics, Regulation & Policy, Renewable Energy | Comments Off on Vermont Coop Ordered to Stop Net Metering Program
The Vermont Public Service Department has directed Washington Electric Co-op (WEC) to suspend its net metering program after the coop attempted to change the program to limit projects to 5 kW due to an existing state cap. The regulator determined that WEC had not been authorized to make this change and therefore must stop accepting applications. The state legislature plans to address...
Columbia River Treaty Needs an Update
Posted on Dec 12, 2013 in Grid & Infrastructure, Legislative & Politics, Regulation & Policy, Renewable Energy | Comments Off on Columbia River Treaty Needs an Update
Based in Eugene, Oregon, Lane Electric Cooperative is among the Northwest utilities pushing for an update to the 1964 Columbia River Treaty, which governs operations along the Columbia River between the U.S. and Canada. Due to changes in how the river operates, the pact that once provided an even split between the two countries now provides more of a 90-10 split in favor of our...
USDA Unveils Energy Efficiency Program for Rural Coops
Posted on Dec 5, 2013 in Climate Change, Energy Savings Programs, Financing, Innovation/Efficiency, Legislative & Politics, Regulation & Policy, Technology | Comments Off on USDA Unveils Energy Efficiency Program for Rural Coops
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will provide funding to rural coops and utilities to help boost energy efficiency improvements by commercial and residential customers. The Energy Efficiency and Loan Conservation Program plans to provide up to $250 million to rural coops which will, in turn, lend the money to customers to fund energy efficiency projects. To learn more, click...
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