Coops in 18 States to Receive Federal Funding to Improve Services
Posted on Aug 10, 2012 in Financing, Grid & Infrastructure, Regulation & Policy | Comments Off on Coops in 18 States to Receive Federal Funding to Improve Services
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced that multiple rural electric utilities will receive loan guarantees to make improvements to electric lines and transmission facilities, and to reduce peak electric loads by deploying smart grid technologies. The funds include nearly $29 million in smart grid projects. Click here for a list of the rural utilities that will receive USDA...
Pennsylvania Coop to Use $40 Million in Loans for Grid Upgrades
Posted on Jul 31, 2012 in Financing, Grid & Infrastructure, Project Development, Regulation & Policy, Reliability | Comments Off on Pennsylvania Coop to Use $40 Million in Loans for Grid Upgrades
The Adams Electric Cooperative, which serves counties in southeastern Pennsylvania, plans to use $40 million in low-interest loans recently awarded from the federal government to build and improve 200 miles of distribution line and to upgrade several substations. A portion of the money will also go to smart grid projects, such as the installation of automated switches that will allow...
Federal Entities Face Monetary Penalties for Reliability Standards Violations
Posted on Jul 26, 2012 in Regulation & Policy, Reliability | Comments Off on Federal Entities Face Monetary Penalties for Reliability Standards Violations
As reported by Sutherland attorneys in a July 24 Legal Alert, federal entities, such as power marketing administrations, may be assessed monetary penalties for violating the North American Electric Reliability Corporation’s (NERC) Reliability Standards. Read more about FERC’s groundbreaking order here.
CFTC Exempts Electric Cooperatives from Dodd-Frank Clearing Requirements
Posted on Jul 25, 2012 in Legislative & Politics, Regulation & Policy | Comments Off on CFTC Exempts Electric Cooperatives from Dodd-Frank Clearing Requirements
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission has approved a final rule exempting electric cooperatives from mandatory clearing requirements if they use swaps to hedge or mitigate commercial risk. This rule would allow coops to avoid the additional costs of the clearance organization administering these transactions. Click here for additional details.
Iowa Coop to Receive $4.7 Million in Disaster Aid
Posted on Jul 25, 2012 in Grid & Infrastructure, Regulation & Policy, Reliability | Comments Off on Iowa Coop to Receive $4.7 Million in Disaster Aid
Hawkeye Rural Electric Cooperative has been awarded $4.7 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. Hawkeye is proposing to repair 142.7 miles of overhead electrical distribution lines damaged by storms, tornadoes and heavy rains that hit the state in 2008. Read more here.
Government Push for Grid Upgrades Receives Pushback from Coops
Posted on Jul 19, 2012 in Grid & Infrastructure, Rates, Regulation & Policy, Reliability, Renewable Energy | Comments Off on Government Push for Grid Upgrades Receives Pushback from Coops
Several Montana-based coops called on the Secretary of the Department of Energy to withdraw a federal plan to upgrade portions of the nation’s power grid. The plan aims to move more renewable energy from rural areas like Montana to load centers like those found in California. The coops fear that the costs to modernize the grid will unfairly fall to rural communities, resulting in...
Federal Loans Could Cut Rural Electric Bills
Posted on Jul 17, 2012 in Energy Savings Programs, Legislative & Politics, Regulation & Policy | Comments Off on Federal Loans Could Cut Rural Electric Bills
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is proposing a new federal loan program that would make federal loans available for rural electric coops to distribute to customers who want to make their homes and businesses more energy-efficient. A version of the program was piloted in South Carolina. There, 125 rural homeowners received loans averaging $7,200 to seal air leaks and replace...
Utility Industry Groups Sue Over FERC Demand Rule
Posted on Jul 16, 2012 in Environmental, Grid & Infrastructure, Litigation, Regulation & Policy, Reliability | Comments Off on Utility Industry Groups Sue Over FERC Demand Rule
Utility industry groups are claiming that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) exceeded its regulatory power when it introduced the compensation policy for power demand resources. The final rule allows demand response providers to receive the same compensation as conventional power plants, regardless of the type of power generated. The Electric Power Supply Association...
Concerns Remain About Coops’ Potential Liability Under New CFTC Swap Rule
Posted on Jul 16, 2012 in Regulation & Policy | Comments Off on Concerns Remain About Coops’ Potential Liability Under New CFTC Swap Rule
The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) has expressed concerns that the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s (CFTC) long-awaited final rule on which energy transactions it will regulate as “swaps” leaves many questions unanswered. Several types of energy sector contracts, such as capacity, reserve sharing, renewable energy certificates and emission attributes,...
Western Farmers Electric Coop and Other Oklahoma Utilities Seek Regional Marketplace
Posted on Jul 12, 2012 in Innovation/Efficiency, Project Development, Regulation & Policy, Technology | Comments Off on Western Farmers Electric Coop and Other Oklahoma Utilities Seek Regional Marketplace
Western Farmers Electric Cooperative and other Oklahoma utilities are working to create a regional marketplace to buy additional power. Southwest Power Pool, a regional transmission organization, would be responsible for getting more power, at the best price, under the program. A Southwest Power Pool representative explained the move as akin to a “carpool system.” NewsOK has more...
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