Kansas Officials Working on Disaster Fund That Would Benefit Coops
Posted on Feb 13, 2012 in Environmental, Grid & Infrastructure, Legislative & Politics, Regulation & Policy | Comments Off on Kansas Officials Working on Disaster Fund That Would Benefit Coops
Kansas lawmakers are working with the state’s governor to establish a fund to cover the state’s share of expenses from federally declared disasters, after millions owed to electric coops from storms in 2011 went unpaid. Kansas governor Sam Brownback wants to use $12 million from tax collections each year to establish a rainy day fund to avoid the situation the state faced in 2011 when...
Oglethorpe Praises NRC Approval of License for New Nuclear Units
Posted on Feb 10, 2012 in Permitting, Project Development, Regulation & Policy | Comments Off on Oglethorpe Praises NRC Approval of License for New Nuclear Units
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission voted 4-1 on February 9 to approve plans for two new nuclear units at the Alvin W. Vogtle Nuclear Plant. Oglethorpe Power Corporation, a 30 percent owner of the new units, along with the other co-owners of new units are now looking forward to 2016 and 2017 when the units are scheduled to come online. Electric Co-op Today has the full story.
South Carolina Energy Providers Promote Economic Development
Posted on Feb 2, 2012 in Economic Downturn, Rates, Regulation & Policy | Comments Off on South Carolina Energy Providers Promote Economic Development
A coalition of South Carolina energy providers, including the state-owned utility Santee Cooper and 20 coops, are implementing a new rate-cutting strategy to increase job growth in the state. The plan will reduce rates during “peak” periods for new and expanding industries that create a certain number of jobs or make a comparable monetary investment. Interested industrial customers...
NERC Proposes Modified Definition of Bulk Electric System
Posted on Jan 31, 2012 in Grid & Infrastructure, Regulation & Policy, Reliability | Comments Off on NERC Proposes Modified Definition of Bulk Electric System
The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) has proposed that all transmission facilities operated at 100 kV or higher and all real and reactive power resources connected to the grid at 100 kV or higher be subject to its Reliability Standards. In NERC’s January 25, 2012 petition to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to approve its revised definition of...
Coops’ Input Leads to Beneficial Bills
Posted on Jan 30, 2012 in Legislative & Politics, Regulation & Policy | Comments Off on Coops’ Input Leads to Beneficial Bills
The House Agriculture Committee has advanced three bills that address electric cooperatives’ concerns with federal regulators’ writing of financial reform regulations. The bills would allow coops to continue using financial instruments such as derivatives, which help insulate customers from price volatility without being subjected to potentially costly regulations. To read more about...
Great Lakes Energy Cooperative Adopts Resolution to be Member Regulated
Posted on Jan 27, 2012 in Corporate Governance, Regulation & Policy | Comments Off on Great Lakes Energy Cooperative Adopts Resolution to be Member Regulated
Great Lakes Energy Cooperative will enter into discussions with the Michigan Public Service Commission on how to handle its transition to a member-regulated entity. The utility will become member-regulated in March assuming Great Lakes meets the notice and hearing requirements under Michigan’s Electric Cooperative Member-Regulation Act. Great Lakes’ member-consumers support the...
SWEPCO Signs Up for Wind Energy
Posted on Jan 26, 2012 in Project Development, Regulation & Policy, Renewable Energy | Comments Off on SWEPCO Signs Up for Wind Energy
Pursuant to a court settlement over a 600-MW, coal-fired generation plant in Arkansas, Southwestern Electric Power Company (SWEPCO) has entered into a power purchase agreement for 359 MW of wind energy. The settlement required the Arkansas plant developers to add 400 MW of renewable capacity by 2015. The majority of the wind generation will come from Oklahoma. Other generation sites...
Vermont Coops Spurn Potential Transmission Control Shift to Green Mountain Power
Posted on Jan 24, 2012 in Corporate Governance, Grid & Infrastructure, Legislative & Politics, Mergers/Acquisitions, Regulation & Policy | Comments Off on Vermont Coops Spurn Potential Transmission Control Shift to Green Mountain Power
In light of a possible merger of Vermont’s two largest utilities to form new entity Green Mountain Power, Vermont municipals and coops are debating who will control the state’s transmission utility, Vermont Electric Power Company (VELCO). Through petitions before the Vermont Public Service Board, both municipals and coops are urging the Board to prevent Green Mountain Power from...
Utility Drivers May Use Hands-Free Devices in Company Cars
Posted on Jan 23, 2012 in Regulation & Policy, Technology | Comments Off on Utility Drivers May Use Hands-Free Devices in Company Cars
Federal regulators have clarified the equipment covered by their recent ban on the use of hand-held mobile telephones by the drivers of vehicles owned by electric cooperatives and other utilities. These drivers—in fact, all commercial motor vehicle operators—can use push-to-talk mobile phones while behind the wheel, provided they do not “reach for, dial, or hold the actual mobile...
Coops Oppose FERC Order on Environmental Redispatch
Posted on Jan 12, 2012 in Environmental, Regulation & Policy, Renewable Energy | Comments Off on Coops Oppose FERC Order on Environmental Redispatch
The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) filed in opposition of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC’s) recent order instructing the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) to revise its environmental redispatch policy. FERC found the policy discriminated against wind generators to the benefit of hydropower production. NRECA claimed the order exceeded...
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