Electric Cooperatives Terminate Merger Discussions
Posted on Nov 4, 2016
Wyoming-based Lower Valley Electric and Idaho-based Fall River Rural Electric Cooperative have ended negotiations regarding a potential merger. The opportunity to streamline the two organizations could potentially save almost $3 million per year for 10 years, but the cooperatives could not agree on issues such as governance and member representation.
Continue Reading
Connexus Energy Awards Smart-Grid Contract to Honeywell
Posted on Nov 4, 2016
Connexus Energy of Minnesota (Connexus) has awarded a smart-grid contract worth $15 million to Honeywell. The project will provide Connexus members with remote electricity reading. The project will require replacement of approximately 138,000 electric meters with Honeywell’s new “EnergyAxis” meters equipped with its “SynergyNet” mesh networking software. The new meters will transmit data to Connexus’s headquarters and give it a better understanding of electrical usage throughout its service area.
Continue Reading
Coop Sells Assets to Native American Tribe
Posted on Nov 4, 2016
Washington’s Benton Rural Electric Association (Benton REA) has announced the sale of $24 million worth of transmission facilities to the Yakama Nation Reservation. As a result of the sale, the Yakama Reservation electric utility will take over operations of 574 miles of power lines and service to 2,000 accounts located within the reservation. Benton REA will continue serving approximately 14,000 accounts outside of the reservation.
Continue Reading
USDA Announces $3.6 Billion in Funding for 82 Electric Projects
Posted on Oct 27, 2016
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced Wednesday that the USDA will provide $3.6 billion in loans to electric utilities in 31 states to fund 82 projects. The loans, which will be provided through the Electric Program and the Rural Utilities Service, include $216 million for smart grid technologies, $35 million for renewable energy, $26 million for environmental improvements and $1.8 million for energy efficiency. Many of the funds will be provided to electric cooperatives, including Georgia’s Oglethorpe Power Corporation, which will receive $448 million to fund generation...
Continue Reading
Coop Sues City Alleging Trademark Infringement
Posted on Oct 27, 2016
Co-Mo Electric Co-Op (Co Mo) has filed a lawsuit against Columbia, Missouri alleging that the name and logo of the city bus system, COMO Connect, infringes on the coop’s trademark for its broadband internet service. Co-Mo is seeking a preliminary injunction to prevent the city from continuing to use the name and logo while the lawsuit is pending.
Continue Reading
NRECA, MISO and SPP File Briefs in FERC Refund Proceedings
Posted on Oct 27, 2016
NRECA filed its initial briefs in FERC’s Section 206 proceedings involving the refund obligations of nonpublic utilities in MISO and SPP (FERC Dockets EL16-91 and EL16-99). In its briefs, NRECA recognized FERC’s legitimate concerns but argued, among other things, that a refund requirement has the potential to deter nonpublic utilities from joining RTOs. MISO and SPP also filed briefs requesting that FERC let them seek a solution through stakeholder proceedings.
Continue Reading
Dairyland Awarded $73.5 Million Settlement from Department of Energy for Storing Uranium
Posted on Oct 24, 2016
CORRECTION: Dairyland Power Cooperative (“Dairyland”) will receive $73.5 million for the U.S. government’s failure to take spent fuel from its shuttered Genoa nuclear power plant to the Yucca Mountain repository in Nevada. As part of the settlement, Dairyland was able to negotiate significant savings on future liabilities. Dairyland’s board will determine how the money will be used but had previously returned half of the last such award to its members through a direct payment and rate relief.
Continue Reading
Georgia Electric Cooperatives Offer Customers Cooperative Solar Program
Posted on Oct 21, 2016
Green Power EMC and the electric cooperatives have developed a program giving customers the opportunity to purchase solar power from off-site solar facilities and avoid the costs and complications of rooftop solar panels. Customers can subscribe to blocks of solar energy and receive a credit on their energy bill from such solar facilities. Jeff Pratt, CEO of Green Power EMC, has stated that the Cooperative Solar program has increased Georgia electric cooperative solar capacity from 7.5 megawatts to 240 megawatts.
Continue Reading
Dairyland Awarded $73.5 Million Settlement from Department of Energy for Storing Uranium
Posted on Oct 21, 2016
Dairyland Power Cooperative (“Dairyland”) will receive $73.5 million for the U.S. government’s failure to take spent fuel from its shuttered Genoa nuclear power plant to the Yucca Mountain repository in Nevada. As part of the settlement, Dairyland was able to negotiate more than $13 million savings on future liabilities. Dairyland’s board will determine how the money will be used but had previously returned half of the last such award to its members through a direct payment and rate relief.
Continue Reading
Electric Coops Eligible to Apply for USDA Grants and Loans
Posted on Oct 19, 2016
Rural small businesses, including electric coops, are eligible to apply for USDA’s renewable energy system and energy efficiency loans and grants. These loans and grants support the development of renewable energy and energy efficiency projects.
Continue Reading
Pedernales Electric Cooperative Receives $1MM Grant for Conservation Plan
Posted on Oct 14, 2016
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service awarded a $1 million grant to Pedernales Electric Cooperative (PEC) to research and develop a 30-year habitat conservation plan for 34 species across five million acres in Texas. PEC will also purchase (or buy offsets for) comparable habitat outside its easements under the conservation plan. PEC’s conservation plan will be submitted by the end of 2017 with an expected approval and implementation in 2018.
Continue Reading
Construction Begins on Bandera Electric Cooperative Solar Project
Posted on Oct 5, 2016
SoCore Energy has started construction on a 1.9 MW ground-mounted solar project for Bandera Electric Cooperative (BEC). This solar project will allow BEC’s members to subscribe to community solar power for their homes and businesses. The project is expected to generate an estimated 3,587 Mwh of energy within its first year of operation.
Continue Reading
Choctawhatchee Electric Cooperative Wins $360 Million Air Force Base Contract
Posted on Sep 29, 2016
The Defense Logistics Agency recently announced that Choctawhatchee Electric Cooperative (CHELCO) will be responsible for owning, operating and maintaining the electrical grid at Eglin Air Force Base, which is located on the Choctawhatchee Bay near Fort Walton Beach, Florida. The contract, which will increase the amount of infrastructure CHELCO maintains by approximately 10 percent, is for a 50-year term and is valued at more than $360 million.
Continue Reading
Wolverine Begins Construction of One of Michigan’s Largest Solar Arrays
Posted on Sep 29, 2016
Spartan Renewable Energy, a member-owner of Wolverine Power Cooperative (Wolverine), today announced that it will soon begin construction of a 1.2 megawatt solar array in Cadillac, Michigan. Wolverine will purchase 100 percent of the power output from the project. While this is Wolverine’s first foray into solar generation, Wolverine already has a substantial renewable portfolio consisting of large-scale wind projects.
Continue Reading
Subscribe
