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Minnesota Coop Set to Break Ground on Ethanol Plant

Minnesota-based Great River Energy (GRE) plans to begin construction this fall in North Dakota on Dakota Spirit AgEnergy, a $155 million ethanol plant.  Dakota Spirit AgEnergy will be the second ethanol plant developed by GRE and should begin operations in the first quarter of 2015.  The Minneapolis StarTribune has the details.

Utilities Object to Recommendations for Columbia River Treaty

Flathead Electric Cooperative and other utilities have expressed their concern in recent months over the rate impacts of certain recommended changes to the Columbia River Treaty relating to the river’s ecosystem.  This half-decade-old treaty provides for the return of power to Canada in exchange for flood control provided by dams in Canada.  See the Daily Inter Lake for details on the...

John W. Turk, Jr. Power Plant Named Plant of the Year

The new 600-MW John W. Turk, Jr. coal-fueled plant in Arkansas has been named Plant of the Year by POWER Magazine.  The plant, which is co-owned by Southwestern Electric Power Company, Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corporation, East Texas Electric Cooperative and Oklahoma Municipal Power Authority, received this award for overcoming a number of regulatory hurdles and legal obstacles. ...

North Dakota City Commission Denies Franchise to Coop

The Devils Lake City Commission denied a request from Nodak Electric Cooperative (Nodak) for a franchise to allow the cooperative to provide electrical service to some areas within the city limits.  All property within the city limits is currently served by Otter Tail Power Company.  As the city limits expand, Nodak was seeking to serve several new subdivisions within the city limits. ...

FERC Conditionally Approves Alaskan Hydro Project

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has conditionally approved a license for a 6.5-MW hydroelectric project in Alaska which will reportedly cost $38.8 million.  The license was awarded to Copper Valley Electric Association for the proposed Allison Creek Hydroelectric Project.  The license includes various environmental mitigation conditions for the project, which is...

Coops Challenge Lending for New Renewable Energy Projects

The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) has voiced opposition to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) decision to establish a new Rural Utilities Service (RUS) lending project aimed at renewable energy.  The USDA announced in early June that it would consider implementing the program under the Electric Loan program to fund renewable energy generation, even...

FERC Sides With Louisiana Coop in NERC Challenge

As the Sutherland Coop team reported on July 25, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) sided with South Louisiana Electric Cooperative Association (SLECA) and ordered the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) to remove the coop from its compliance registry for distribution providers and load-serving entities.  SLECA originally came under the compliance...

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...

Wisconsin Bill to Protect Coops From Civil Suits

Wisconsin State Assembly representatives have proposed Assembly Bill 257 to protect coops and other electricity providers from civil liability for damage to persons and property resulting from power service.  The bill does not intend to modify existing standards related to permissible stray voltage levels, but critics say the bill will take utilities off the hook for related harm and...

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