EIA Forecasts Electricity Prices to Rise in 2017
Posted on Jan 19, 2016
The Energy Information Administration (EIA) has reported it expects residential electricity prices to increase by about 3 percent in 2017 after holding steady in 2015 and 2016. The projected residential electricity price increases vary widely from region to region.
Continue Reading
Enel Starts Construction of Oklahoma Wind Farm
Posted on Jan 19, 2016
Enel Green Power North America Inc. has started construction of the $180 million Drift Sand project in Grady County, Oklahoma. The project is expected to be completed by the end of the year and electricity from the project will go to Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corp. under a long-term power-purchase agreement.
Continue Reading
Construction to Begin at Silicon Ranch Solar Energy Plant in Georgia
Posted on Jan 14, 2016
Construction on Silicon Ranch’s new 52 MWac solar energy plant is set to begin on February 1. Once completed, the plant will occupy approximately 450 acres, employ more than 200 workers and will harness enough solar energy to power the homes of approximately 8,500 of Green Power EMC’s members.
Continue Reading
House Resolves to Overturn EPA’s “Waters of the U.S.” Rule
Posted on Jan 14, 2016
The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed a resolution to overturn the “Waters of the U.S.” rule issued last year by the EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers. The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association praised the resolution, as coops nationwide have expressed concern over the rule’s dramatic expansion of federal regulation of waterways.
Continue Reading
FERC Case Leads to Changes in MISO Auction Rules and Potential Consumer Refunds
Posted on Jan 13, 2016
Southern Electric Cooperative was a complainant in a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) case that led to the agency issuing an order to correct alleged market manipulation by Midcontinent Independent Systems Operator in connection with its 2015-2016 Planning Research Auction.
Continue Reading
Coal Prices and Production Down in 2015
Posted on Jan 13, 2016
According to the Energy Information Administration, coal prices and production declined in 2015. The agency attributed this decline to low natural gas prices, lower demand and more environmental regulations.
Continue Reading
Illinois Coops Join Metal Theft Task Force
Posted on Jan 12, 2016
A new state law will give Illinois electric cooperatives a role in fighting metal theft through the creation of the Recyclable Metal Theft Task Force. Seats on the task force include representatives of Illinois’ electric coops, public utilities, scrap metal dealers, insurance companies, members of the state Senate and House and state law enforcement.
Continue Reading
Vermont Coop Working with Major State Industry to Promote Electric Technology
Posted on Jan 6, 2016
Vermont Electric Cooperative (VEP), a Vermont cooperative with 35,000 members, including 400 maple syrup producers, has partnered with Dominion & Grim, a Canadian company, to promote to sugar makers a new electric evaporator called ECOVAP. VEP will offer incentives for the sugar makers to switch to ECOVAP and, in turn, VEP will receive carbon credits for the program.
Continue Reading
Coops Repairing After Severe Storms
Posted on Jan 6, 2016
After severe ice storms in parts of Texas and Oklahoma and major flooding from Illinois to Arkansas, electric coops are facing weeks of repairs. As repairs to any damaged systems move forward, coops are continuing to monitor any conditions that could cause scattered outages.
Continue Reading
NRECA Suggests Changes to Clean Power Plan’s “Safety Valve”
Posted on Jan 4, 2016
The NRECA filed a petition on December 21 requesting that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) include a more robust “safety valve” in its Clean Power Plan to allow power providers relief from emissions standards in the event that those standards will have adverse effects on reliability. The EPA’s plan does include a “safety valve,” but the current structure may be insufficient to ensure reliability, especially for electric cooperatives, which tend to have fewer generation resources at their disposal than other utilities.
Continue Reading
Sutherland Represents EKPC in Gas Plant Acquisition
Posted on Jan 4, 2016
Sutherland recently represented East Kentucky Power Cooperative, Inc. (EKPC) in its acquisition of a 594-megawatt natural gas power plant located in Oldham County, Kentucky from Bluegrass Generation Co. LLC. The transaction, approved by the Kentucky Public Service Commission last month, closed on December 29, 2015.
Continue Reading
Power Generators Challenge Clean Power Plan
Posted on Dec 29, 2015
A federal appeals court is considering whether to add six separate lawsuits to a claim filed by 26 states against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for its proposed Clean Power Plan.
Continue Reading
Low Natural Gas Prices Benefiting Coops
Posted on Dec 22, 2015
Record low natural gas prices will continue to benefit electric cooperatives and public power utilities.
Continue Reading
Pipeline Seeks Service Territory Exception in State-Assigned Cooperative Territory
Posted on Dec 18, 2015
Despite being in the service territory for Northern Electric, a member-owned cooperative, Dakota Access, an oil pipeline, is seeking a service territory exception from the state Public Utilities Commission so that NorthWestern Energy can supply the power instead. The commission has already granted confidentiality to the proposed agreement between Dakota Access and NorthWestern Energy.
Continue Reading
Subscribe
