Kaua’i Island Utility Cooperative Signs PPA with SolarCity for Battery-Stored Solar Power
Posted on Sep 11, 2015 in Innovation/Efficiency, Reliability, Renewable Energy, Technology | Comments Off on Kaua’i Island Utility Cooperative Signs PPA with SolarCity for Battery-Stored Solar Power
Kaua’i Island Utility Cooperative (KIUC) has agreed to purchase electricity from SolarCity’s proposed 52-MWh battery system project, believed to be the first utility-scale system in the U.S. capable of dispatching stored solar power. The project, when completed, will provide 13 megawatts of solar power to the grid in the evening, when demand is highest. The power purchase agreement...
Touchstone Receives Feedback on Potential “Value-Added Services” for Coops
Posted on Aug 18, 2015 in Energy Savings Programs, Innovation/Efficiency, Reliability | Comments Off on Touchstone Receives Feedback on Potential “Value-Added Services” for Coops
Touchstone Energy’s 2014-2015 Survey on the Cooperative Difference solicited responses from consumer members on certain “value-added services” that coops may be able to provide. Outage alerts, energy efficiency programs and community solar all received positive feedback. Click here for more.
Southern Minnesota Energy Cooperative Completes Acquisition of Electric Service Territory from Alliant Energy
Posted on Jul 31, 2015 in Mergers/Acquisitions, Rates, Reliability | Comments Off on Southern Minnesota Energy Cooperative Completes Acquisition of Electric Service Territory from Alliant Energy
The Southern Minnesota Energy Cooperative, a group of 12 electric cooperatives, finalized the acquisition of electric service territory in southern Minnesota from investor-owned Alliant Energy. Approximately 43,000 Alliant Energy customers in southern Minnesota are now member-owners of their respective electric cooperative. Read more about the acquisition here.
Coops Fare Well in J.D. Power Utility Study
Posted on Jul 20, 2015 in Innovation/Efficiency, Rates, Reliability | Comments Off on Coops Fare Well in J.D. Power Utility Study
Several coops were highly ranked in the J.D. Power 2015 Electric Utility Residential Customer Satisfaction Study. Only 20 coops were reviewed for the study, which was limited to utilities with at least 100,000 residential customers, but many of those included scored well. Click here for a link to J.D. Power’s report and here for more information on the performance of coops.
Department of Energy Urged to Expand Renewable Energy Grant Programs
Posted on Jul 17, 2015 in Financing, Grid & Infrastructure, Legislative & Politics, Reliability | Comments Off on Department of Energy Urged to Expand Renewable Energy Grant Programs
Representatives from Alaska, Hawaii, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands have urged the Department of Energy to expand grant programs to help reduce the relatively high capital costs of renewable energy installation projects facing operators of islanded, non-grid-connected communities and to make the projects economically feasible. Read more about the Alaska Village Electric Cooperative’s...
FEMA Grant Will Help Vermont Coop Clean Up
Posted on Jun 9, 2015 in Legislative & Politics, Reliability | Comments Off on FEMA Grant Will Help Vermont Coop Clean Up
Vermont legislators announced last Friday that the Vermont Electric Cooperative (VEC) will receive a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The $2.1 million grant will cover cleanup and repair costs related to severe weather that occurred last December and caused 45,000 outages in VEC’s service territory. Click here for more.
Electric Cooperatives Support Federal Right-of-Way Changes
Posted on May 27, 2015 in Legislative & Politics, Reliability | Comments Off on Electric Cooperatives Support Federal Right-of-Way Changes
The chief executive officers of Central Electric Cooperative and Missoula Electric Cooperative spoke before Congress to voice their support for right-of-way management of federal lands. The issue has become increasingly important to electric cooperatives as dry conditions have increased the chances that fallen trees can spark wildfires capable of causing significant damage to poles...
G&T Cooperatives Join DOE Grid Study
Posted on May 22, 2015 in Climate Change, Grid & Infrastructure, Reliability | Comments Off on G&T Cooperatives Join DOE Grid Study
The Department of Energy (DOE) has invited two generation and transmission cooperatives, Great River Energy and Hoosier Energy, to join 15 other electric utilities in the Partnership for Energy Sector Climate Resilience to help strengthen the grid against extreme weather and impacts from climate change. Read more about the Partnership’s goals here.
Capacity for Distributed Energy Storage Expected to Increase Dramatically by 2018
Posted on Apr 8, 2015 in Grid & Infrastructure, Project Development, Reliability, Renewable Energy, Technology | Comments Off on Capacity for Distributed Energy Storage Expected to Increase Dramatically by 2018
A recent report by Navigant Research suggests that the capacity distributed energy storage systems (DESS) will grow 10-fold by 2018. Worldwide DESS capacity is expected to grow to 2.4 GW from the current level of 276 MW, and revenues from DESS are expected to be greater than $16.5 billion by 2024. Research indicates the boom is being generated by improved technologies, including...
Natural Gas Infrastructure Threatens ISO New England Reliability
Posted on Mar 9, 2015 in Grid & Infrastructure, Reliability | Comments Off on Natural Gas Infrastructure Threatens ISO New England Reliability
ISO New England has stated that insufficient pipeline capacity and liquefied natural gas storage capacity may affect reliability, price and emissions. Natural gas accounted for about 44 percent of net energy in New England in 2014. Click here for more.
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