Eversheds Sutherland Coop Law Blog
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GRE Agrees to Deal With Apex for 400-MW Wind Project

Great River Energy (GRE) has reached an agreement in principle with Apex Clean Energy to procure clean power from a 400-MW wind project under development in North Dakota.
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Florida Coop Constructing Three Utility Solar Projects

Talquin Electric Cooperative is working with Origis Energy to provide clean energy at competitive rates under PPAs between Seminole Electric Cooperative, Talquin Electric Cooperative, and Origis Energy. The Projects include Hinson Solar, a 4 MWAC project, in Gadsden County, Hilliardville Solar, a 2 MWAC project, in Wakulla County, and Bristol Solar, with a capacity rating of 0.63 MWAC, in Liberty County. Construction is slated for completion in the first quarter of 2022.
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Indiana Coop’s Focus on Energy Efficiency Pays Off

Wabash Valley Power has seen over 300 million kilowatt-hours in energy savings and $66 million in avoided costs since 2008, when it began investing more in working with its distribution coop members to strengthen energy efficiency programs and strengthen relationships with consumer-members.
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Nolin Rural Electric Cooperative Settles With Kentucky Utilities Over Right to Serve Ford Plant

Nolin Rural Electric Cooperative (Nolan) settled its dispute with Kentucky Utilities over the right to serve a $5.8 billion plant owned by Ford Motor Company and SK Innovations. The plant represents the largest private investment into the state and could become one of Kentucky’s largest electric loads. The settlement permits Kentucky Utilities to serve the plant in exchange for Nolin’s receipt of 800 acres of nearby land and an undisclosed amount of money.
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Electric Cooperatives Take Top Spots in J.D. Power Customer Satisfaction Poll

Electric cooperatives dominated the 2021 J.D. Power rankings, with 14 in the top 20 of the annual survey of residential electric customers.
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Virginia Electric Coops Win $162 Million for Universal Broadband Efforts

Four electric cooperatives in Virginia will provide high-speed internet access across 20 counties and connect more than 50,000 residents and businesses after winning $162 million in recently announced state and federal grants.
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NRECA Works to Achieve Legislative Gains for Cooperatives

Electric cooperatives throughout the nation are poised to reap the benefits in 2022 of legislation passed by Congress last year that includes coop priorities pushed by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) and its members. The biggest success was passage of the $1.2 trillion bipartisan Infrastructure and Jobs Act, which will give a major boost to coops by providing billions for broadband deployment, electric vehicle charging networks, electric transmission, energy storage, carbon capture and other clean energy technologies.
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East Coast Cooperatives Work to Restore Power After Winter Storm

Lineworkers from North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana and Pennsylvania are assisting Virginia, Maryland and Delaware-based crews to restore power after a winter storm knocked out power to more than 160,000 meters. The outages were caused by heavy snow on limbs and trees.
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Ninnescah Rural Electric Cooperative Partners With 11 Other Cooperatives on Construction of New Solar Farm

Twelve electric cooperatives, including Ninnescah Rural Electric Cooperative, are part of a Kansas solar farm construction project designed to help ease costs on members by providing an additional source of power during high demand times. The project will generate more than 20 megawatts of power and aid the electric cooperatives during peak usage time in the hottest and longest months of the year when the sun is shining the brightest and longest.
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Electric Cooperatives Work to Restore Power After Deadly Tornadoes

After tornadoes and strong winds ravaged parts of the South and Midwest, electric cooperatives are working to restore damage to transmission lines and support structures in order to restore power to communities. Full restoration is likely to take weeks as it is conservatively estimated that more than 1,000 utility poles were damaged in the storms, but less affected electric cooperatives have already begun assisting those with the most damage.
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North Carolina Electric Cooperative Awarded $6 Million to Aid Members with Energy-Efficiency Upgrades

Roanoke Electric Cooperative (Roanoke) in North Carolina was recently awarded a $6 million loan by a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) program designed to help rural businesses fight climate change, create jobs, and expand access to renewable technologies. Roanoke will use the funds to expand its existing energy-efficiency program and to aid the cooperative’s broadband subsidiary finance connections to remote homes.
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Ozarks Electric Cooperative Helps Arkansas City Meet Commitments to Renewable, Cost-Efficient Power

Ozarks Electric Cooperative helped Fayetteville, Arkansas earn a spot on a global list of municipalities recognized for commitments to clean, cost-efficient power by adding solar and storage to two of the city’s wastewater treatment plants.
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Iowa Cooperative Awards Zero-Interest Loan to Assisted Living Facility

T.I.P. Rural Electric Cooperative of Brooklyn, Iowa was granted $300,000 by the USDA Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant Program to make a zero-interest loan to the Mayflower Community, an Iowa assisted living community, to fund construction of a new dining facility. T.I.P. Rural Electric Cooperative’s Board of Directors added $60,000 in matching funds to fund the $360,000 loan.
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Riverland Energy Cooperative New Solar Array System Provides Electricity for More than 500 Homes

Riverland Energy Cooperative recently cut the ribbon on a new solar array system that can provide electricity for about 550 homes. Riverland has a purchase agreement with OneEnergy Renewables to buy the electricity from its 8,000 Panel, 3MW output system. The bi-facial panels are designed to move east to west with the sun, optimizing energy production.
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