Minnkota Power Cooperative and PRC Wind Announce New Wind Farm
Posted on Jan 17, 2025
Minnkota Power Cooperative and PRC Wind have announced plans to develop the 370-megawatt Flickertail Wind Farm near New Rockford, North Dakota, with construction set to begin in 2027. The project, originating from a collaboration between local community members and the New Rockford economic development board, will provide cost-effective, carbon-free energy through a long-term agreement with Minnkota to purchase the electricity produced. The wind farm will be located on 43,000 acres across Wells and Eddie Counties, creating 300 jobs during construction and contributing around $100 million to...
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San Miguel Electric Cooperative, Inc. Secures $1.4 Billion for New Renewable Facility
Posted on Jan 10, 2025
San Miguel Electric Cooperative, Inc. (SMEC) has secured over $1.4 billion from the USDA’s New ERA program to transition its current coal operations to a new 400 megawatt (MW) solar facility and 200 MW of battery storage. The shift aims to reduce environmental pollution and provide affordable renewable energy to forty-seven rural South Texas counties. SMEC is one of fifteen cooperatives that have been awarded funding under the New ERA program so far.
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New G&T in Louisiana
Posted on Jan 3, 2025
1803 Electric Cooperative (1803), a generation and transmission cooperative, began serving its first member, Northeast Louisiana Power Cooperative (NLPC) on January 1, 2025, and will start serving its other four founding co-ops in April of 2025. 1803 was founded by NLPC and four other co-ops to cut costs, improve reliability, and gain greater control over their power supply decisions. 1803’s CEO, Brian Hobbs, highlighted that their energy contract request for proposal attracted over 20 unique companies and a 20 percent lower bid by their incumbent provider.
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NRECA President Pens Letter to Trump Administration on Energy Priorities
Posted on Dec 10, 2024
The president of the National Rural Electric Cooperatives Association has written a letter to the Trump administration highlighting high-priority items for electric cooperatives.
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Flathead Electric Cooperative Receives Grant Funding to Mitigate Wildfire Risks
Posted on Dec 5, 2024
Flathead Electric Cooperative has received an over $2.6 million grant from the Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships program to mitigate wildfire risks in the Essex area. Funding will support trimming the trees adjacent to power lines, which will be aided by satellite imagery that can identify the trees most at risk of coming into contact with power lines.
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Electric Cooperative Joins Suit Against Federal Government for Denied Compensation
Posted on Nov 22, 2024
Mora-San Miguel Electric Cooperative is joining Mora County and two school districts in a lawsuit against the federal government for more than $1 billion in wildfire damages after their compensation claims were denied. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Albuquerque, New Mexico, claims extensive damage to critical infrastructure following the historic Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fire, which began as prescribed burns set by the U.S. Forest Service and became the largest wildfire in New Mexico’s history. Despite Congress setting aside nearly $4 billion for claims, plaintiffs argue...
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Kentucky Electric Cooperative Expands Natural Gas Plants
Posted on Nov 22, 2024
East Kentucky Power Cooperative (EKPC) is planning significant expansion of its natural gas-fired power plants, including two new plants and the conversion of two existing coal-fired plants to “co-fire” natural gas, aiming to comply with Biden administration rules on greenhouse gas emissions. The two new plants, costing around $1.8 billion in total, are expected to be operational by 2028 and 2030, respectively. EKPC is also doubling its investment in demand-side management programs to reduce electricity usage and peak power demand by 2030 and is maintaining flexibility with its coal-fired...
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NERC Reliability Assessment Amongst Extreme Winter Conditions
Posted on Nov 15, 2024
Jim Matheson, CEO of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, commented on the North American Electric Reliability Corporation’s (NERC) winter 2024-25 reliability assessment, highlighting a significant mismatch between skyrocketing electricity demand and inadequate supply. The NERC report indicates that over half the U.S. faces potential energy shortfalls during extreme winter conditions, exacerbated by the retirement of coal and natural gas-fired generators.
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Congress’s Final Session Before Christmas Crucial for Electric Cooperatives
Posted on Nov 15, 2024
In its final “lame duck” session, Congress is addressing critical issues for electric cooperatives, including the Farm Bill, disaster relief reimbursement for the cost of rebuilding systems after recent hurricanes Helene and Milton, government funding before the December 21 deadline, eligibility for electric co-ops to receive funding from the National Defense Authorization Act, and permitting reform to streamline federal approval processes and lower costs to modernize systems. NRECA is focusing on educating newly elected lawmakers about not-for-profit electric co-ops and their...
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Oglethorpe Power Corporation Selects Annalisa Bloodworth as new CEO
Posted on Nov 11, 2024
Oglethorpe Power Corporation has selected Annalisa Bloodworth as its new CEO effective February 1, 2025. Bloodworth will transition from the role of Senior Vice President and General Counsel, which she has held since 2017. Prior to her role at Oglethorpe, Bloodworth was an associate at Eversheds Sutherland (US) LLP.
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Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corp. Invests $1 Billion in New Gas and Solar Generation to Meet Regional Power Demand
Posted on Nov 7, 2024
Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corp. (AECC) is investing nearly $1B for over 1 gigawatt of new natural gas generation, including a $850 million plant in Texas and an expanded Arkansas facility, to address capacity needs in the Southwest Power Pool market. The projects, set for completion by 2028, aim to replace retiring coal capacity and support steady demand growth, alongside new solar initiatives.
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Dairyland Power Cooperative Sees a Nuclear Future
Posted on Nov 5, 2024
To reduce carbon emissions and greenhouse gases, Dairyland Power Cooperative, a Wisconsin electric cooperative, discussed a desire to reenter the nuclear power business for the first time since closing its Genoa, Wisconsin reactor in 1987. Concerns about carbon emissions, demands that outpace development of renewables, and advances in nuclear technology have caught the attention of executives at Dairyland. Dairyland’s CEO Brent Ridge expressed interest in nuclear and suggested that the issue of spent fuel should not hinder the construction of new projects.
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DOE Awards Minnkota $49 Million for Carbon Storage
Posted on Oct 22, 2024
Minnkota DCC East Project LLC, a subsidiary of Minnkota Power Cooperative was awarded $49 million by the Department of Energy to build geological carbon storage facility with an 80 million metric ton capacity. The funding was awarded on Monday through the DOE’s CarbonSAFE program.
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$97 Million Awarded to Rural Electric Co-ops for Grid Resilience
Posted on Oct 17, 2024
The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), Georgia Transmission Corporation, and eleven rural electric utilities have been selected to negotiate contracts for over $97 million in federal funding from the Department of Energy’s Grid Resilience and Innovative Partnerships (GRIP) program to enhance grid resilience. The consortium will focus on completing high-priority transmission projects at 12 rural electric utilities to meet increasing energy demand and support renewable energy interconnection. These efforts are part of a broader initiative to replace 200,000 miles of...
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