FERC Issues Order on CIP 5 Reliability Standards
Posted on Mar 20, 2014
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) recently granted requests for clarification of, but denied requests for rehearing of, Order No. 791, which approved version 5 of the North American Electric Reliability Corporation Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) 5 Reliability Standards. The requests were filed by several trade associations, including the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. Click here for more.
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Michigan PSC Approves Settlement Agreements for PSCR Plans
Posted on Mar 19, 2014
The Michigan Public Service Commission (PSC) approved settlement agreements for three Michigan cooperatives which will allow the cooperatives to implement their power supply cost recovery (PSCR) plans for 2014. Settlement agreements were approved for Cloverland Electric Cooperative, Midwest Energy Cooperative and Thumb Electric Cooperative. To read more, click here.
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Bond Rating Agencies Discount Talk of TVA Divestiture
Posted on Mar 19, 2014
The annual budget plan released by the Obama Administration earlier this month noted that the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) had achieved its original mission and should be sold or transferred to state governments or local power cooperatives in the Tennessee Valley. Nonetheless, bond rating agencies Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s have discounted these proposals, and TVA has retained its top AAA rating. Although the rating has remained the same, the rating agencies have noted that TVA would likely lose its favorable borrowing authority if it were no longer owned by the federal...
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Coop to Develop Largest Solar Array in Kansas
Posted on Mar 18, 2014
Midwest Energy, a rural electric coop in Hays, Kansas, and Boulder, Colorado-based Clean Energy Collective are collaborating on the development of a 1-MW solar installation to be spread throughout 41 counties in central and western Kansas. Coop members will be able to invest in a share of this community-owned solar project which will provide energy to Midwest. For more information on the project and how coop members will be able to participate, click here.
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Sutherland Adds European Presence
Posted on Mar 18, 2014
Arbis LLP and Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP are pleased to announce that they have combined to create a premier global energy practice with significant depth and experience advising on physical and derivative commodity trading transactions and disputes. “We are delighted to join forces with Sutherland,” said London Co-Partner-in-Charge Paul Sinnott. “Together, we now have a strong presence in London, Geneva and Houston, where many of our clients, including numerous in common, have offices or do business.” Read the full press release.
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Aging Coop Workforce a Concern for Industry
Posted on Mar 17, 2014
The current and projected status of the coop workforce was a hot topic at the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association annual meeting earlier this month. The average age of coop employees is 48, and there is a growing need to engage younger adults and youth to ensure the longevity of the coop workforce for decades to come. Read more here.
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NRECA Responds to WSJ Article on Grid Security
Posted on Mar 17, 2014
Jo Ann Emerson, CEO of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), issued remarks on the electric coop industry’s efforts to protect the nation’s critical transmission system after a recent Wall Street Journal (WSJ) article released sensitive information on the subject. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission recently ordered the North American Electric Reliability Corporation to develop new reliability standards within 90 days to mitigate the risk of physical attack on the grid. Click here for more information.
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Energy Retailer Fined for “Slamming” Coop Members
Posted on Mar 14, 2014
The Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) fined Starion Energy (Starion), a Connecticut energy retailer, based on a number of state law violations. The $350,000 fine was based on, among other violations, the PSC’s finding that Starion had committed 122 “slamming” violations, which is the practice of enrolling or re-enrolling a customer without his permission, against Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative’s members. See SoMDNews for full coverage of this story.
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Dairyland Adding Commercial Solar Project
Posted on Mar 13, 2014
Dairyland Power Cooperative (Dairyland), based in La Crosse, Wisconsin, has signed an agreement with Clean Energy Collective to purchase renewable energy produced by a planned 520-kW solar installation. The new solar facility, located in Westby, Wisconsin, will be developed, owned and managed by Clean Energy Collective. This project, along with Dairyland’s first commercial solar project located in Rochester, Minnesota, are part of the cooperative’s long-term resource plan. Read more here.
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‘Social Cost of Carbon’ Raises NRECA Concerns
Posted on Mar 11, 2014
The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) recently reported to the Obama administration about the potential costs of federal regulations based partly on the social cost of carbon. Speaking out strongly against this idea, the NRECA pointed out that “the federal government would best serve the energy-consuming public by excluding an arbitrary ‘social cost of carbon,’ or the estimated benefits of reducing carbon dioxide emissions.” The concerns are that a social cost of carbon cannot be measured accurately, and including such a cost would cause uncertainty in whether a...
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House Passes Bill for High Efficiency Grid-Enabled Water Heaters
Posted on Mar 11, 2014
Bipartisan legislation that would establish a new category of efficiency standard for water heaters used in demand response programs has cleared the House of Representatives and will next be put before the Senate. The passage of this bill would allow the continued use of water heaters in money- and energy-saving demand response programs by coops. Read more here.
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Illinois Coop Launches New Solar Facility
Posted on Mar 11, 2014
Illinois Rural Electric Cooperative recently opened a new 500-kW solar facility. Consisting of 2,223 panels across four acres, the solar farm is the first utility-scale photovoltaic facility run by a cooperative in the state. Of the project’s $1.8 million total cost, over $900,000 came from federal and state grants, given through the U. S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Energy for America Program and Illinois’ Renewable Energy Business Development Program. Click here for more.
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Alaskan Coop Seeks Alternate Fuel Supply Following Planned Refinery Closure
Posted on Mar 9, 2014
Golden Valley Electric Association (GVEA) is seeking an alternative supply of naphtha and HAGO, a type of fuel oil, to support its needs over the summer. GVEA is considering a number of fuel supply options, including working with a smaller refinery and options involving the transportation of fuel to the interior of Alaska. The Alaska Journal of Commerce is covering this story.
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DOE and NRECA Name 2013 Wind Coops of the Year
Posted on Mar 9, 2014
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) named Old Dominion Electric Cooperative and the Rural Electric Convenience Cooperative as the 2013 Wind Cooperatives of the Year. For more information on the significant contributions these coops made to the wind energy industry, see the DOE’s press release.
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