Eversheds Sutherland Coop Law Blog
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Tennessee Valley Authority to Build Kentucky’s Largest Solar Site

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) announced plans last Thursday to build the largest solar-plus-storage project in its Kentucky service area. The new Logan County solar farm, part of the TVA’s Green Invest program, will provide Facebook’s regional data center operations with 145 megawatts of solar power and General Motors’ Corvette Plant in Bowling Green with 28...

Federal Judge Dismisses Lawsuit against Alabama Cooperative

A federal judge dismissed a class action suit against Arab Electric Cooperative brought by its members for failing to refund profits back to members, as required by state law.  The judge ruled that, because the cooperatives have contracts with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) that restrict the cooperatives in terms of changing rates, the cooperatives cannot independently reduce...

TVA Awards Solar Capacity to Three Coops

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), in partnership with the Tennessee Valley Public Power Association, awarded 16.7 MWs of solar capacity to four power companies, three of which are coops.  Chickasaw Electric Cooperative, East Mississippi Electric Power Association and Joe Wheeler Electric Membership Corporation applied for and were awarded this capacity through the Distributed Solar...

Appalachian Electric Cooperative Set to Begin New Solar Project in Fall

Appalachian Electric Cooperative is set to begin construction of a new 1.373-megawatt “community solar” facility this fall.  The facility will include 9,468 photovoltaic cells that will generate enough renewable electricity to power approximately 115 homes for an entire year.  The new project will be funded in part by a grant from the Tennessee Valley Authority and is one of only two...

Kentucky Coop Building Solar Project at Fort Campbell

Pennyrile Rural Electric Cooperative is working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Tennessee Valley Authority to develop a 5 MW solar project at Fort Campbell.  The project will help the base meet a Department of Defense directive to procure 25 percent of the base’s energy from renewable sources by 2025.  Read more about the project here.

TVA Rates for Coops 13 Percent Above Average

Michael Watson, president of Shelbyville, Tennessee-based Duck River Electric Membership Corporation (DREMC), told the board of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) that the rates DREMC pays TVA for the power it distributes are 13 percent higher than the average wholesale rate that distribution coops pay.  Click here for more.

Alabama Coop to Partner in New Landfill Gas Facility

Sand Mountain Electric Cooperative in Alabama has partnered with the Tennessee Valley Authority, Energy Development, and Republic Waste on a landfill gas facility outside of Collinsville, Alabama.  To read more about this story, click here.

Bond Rating Agencies Discount Talk of TVA Divestiture

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...

Tennessee Coop Receives Solar Generation Honor

The Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) has recognized Tennessee-based Chickasaw Electric Cooperative (Chickasaw Electric) for its impressive per-capita solar generation.  The coop averages 217 watts for each of its over 15,000 customers, which places Chickasaw Electric fifth on SEPA’s national list.  See the Tennessee Valley Authority press release for more information.

Coop to Assist TVA and Developer with Two New Solar Facilities

Developer Strata Solar is collaborating with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and Pickwick Electric Cooperative (Pickwick) on two new 20-MW solar projects in McNairy, Tennessee, with enough capacity to power up to 4,000 homes.  Strata Solar will construct and operate the two facilities, TVA will purchase the output and Pickwick will play a supporting role by providing...