Cost of Transporting Coal on the Rise
Posted on Nov 26, 2012 in Grid & Infrastructure, Rates, Reliability | Comments Off on Cost of Transporting Coal on the Rise
According to a new study conducted by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), power plant owners are paying nearly 50 percent more to haul coal to their units than they did a decade ago. The EIA’s annual analysis of coal transportation costs said electric generators spent an average of $17.25 per ton in 2010, a 46 percent hike from $11.83 per ton in 2001. Most of the cost...
Federal Analysts Find that Natural Gas Costs are Climbing
Posted on Nov 19, 2012 in Rates | Comments Off on Federal Analysts Find that Natural Gas Costs are Climbing
According to federal analysts at the Energy Information Administration (EIA), historically low natural gas prices are starting to increase. The EIA is projecting an average 22 percent jump in the price of natural gas delivered to generators in 2013. The agency reports that record-high natural gas inventories are expected to decline, leading to tighter demand and higher prices as the...
Two Illinois Coops Plan to Merge
Posted on Nov 19, 2012 in Corporate Governance, Mergers/Acquisitions | Comments Off on Two Illinois Coops Plan to Merge
Members of Farmers Mutual Electric Company approved a merger with fellow electric cooperative Jo-Carroll Energy, Inc. last Tuesday. Under the agreement, Farmers Mutual members will become members of Jo-Carroll Energy. Jo-Carroll Energy’s bylaws do not require its members to vote on a merger with another coop. Farmers Mutual will return $936,000 in capital credits to its members over...
Some Members Challenge Rate Increases in Wake of Utility Merger
Posted on Nov 16, 2012 in Corporate Governance, Mergers/Acquisitions, Rates | Comments Off on Some Members Challenge Rate Increases in Wake of Utility Merger
Following the merger of Central Vermont Public Service with and into Green Mountain Power, two members of the surviving Green Mountain Power are protesting certain transmission-related rate increases before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Although the rate increases are to be phased-in over time, the new transmission rates represent an increase of more than 75 percent. ...
Member Cooperatives Considering Legal Action Over Rate Hike
Posted on Nov 16, 2012 in Corporate Governance, Litigation, Rates | Comments Off on Member Cooperatives Considering Legal Action Over Rate Hike
Three member cooperatives of Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association Inc. (Tri-State) have objected to a 4.9 percent wholesale rate increase by filing a written complaint with the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission. The Santa Fe New Mexican is covering this story.
Dairyland Power Coop Rebuilding Transmission Line
Posted on Nov 14, 2012 in Innovation/Efficiency, Project Development, Reliability, Technology | Comments Off on Dairyland Power Coop Rebuilding Transmission Line
In September, Dairyland Power Cooperative (Dairyland) began a $22.5 million project to rebuild the 65-year-old, 20-mile Q1 transmission line that provides power to La Crosse, Wisconsin, and its surrounding areas. The project includes the addition of steel poles and a new conductor and foundations. Dairyland officials said that when the project is completed, it will eliminate...
New Partners Sought for Wolf Creek Nuclear Power Plant
Posted on Nov 13, 2012 in Grid & Infrastructure, Project Development, Regulation & Policy | Comments Off on New Partners Sought for Wolf Creek Nuclear Power Plant
Kansas City Power & Light Co. and Kansas Electric Power Cooperative, two of the owners of the Wolf Creek Nuclear Power Plant located near Burlington, Kansas, are seeking new partners to help operate the plant. Citing operational issues such as extended outages and increased regulatory oversight as reasons, the owners are soliciting proposals to fill this role. Click here for...
Border Facility Finally Getting Power
Posted on Nov 12, 2012 in Grid & Infrastructure, Project Development, Regulation & Policy | Comments Off on Border Facility Finally Getting Power
A new outpost to house U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers and Border Patrol agents in southern New Mexico is finally getting a power line upgrade from the Columbus Electric Cooperative in Deming. The project has experienced a year-long delay because federal planners failed to make sure the local power coop could provide enough electricity. It wasn’t until final construction...
Kentucky PSC Accepts Settlement in Big Sandy RECC Rate Case
Posted on Nov 7, 2012 in Energy Savings Programs, Litigation, Rates | Comments Off on Kentucky PSC Accepts Settlement in Big Sandy RECC Rate Case
The Kentucky Public Service Commission (PSC) accepted a proposed settlement in a rate adjustment case filed by Big Sandy Rural Electric Cooperative Corporation (Big Sandy RECC). The agreement allows Big Sandy RECC to receive its requested 3.7 percent increase in annual revenue. However, less of this increase will come from flat monthly customer charges and more will come from...
MFA Oil Acquires Propane Business of Two Missouri Regional Electric Cooperatives
Posted on Nov 7, 2012 in Mergers/Acquisitions | Comments Off on MFA Oil Acquires Propane Business of Two Missouri Regional Electric Cooperatives
Platte-Clay Electric Cooperative and United Electric Cooperative, Inc. recently sold their propane businesses to MFA Oil, a farmers cooperative based in Columbia, Missouri. The propane businesses, originally formed as a response to electricity deregulation, no longer fit with the business plans of the electric cooperatives. Read more here.
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