Minnesota Coop Planning New Community Solar Garden
Posted on Apr 28, 2014 in Energy Savings Programs, Financing, Grid & Infrastructure, Project Development, Renewable Energy | Comments Off on Minnesota Coop Planning New Community Solar Garden
Connexus Energy (Connexus), a distribution cooperative based in Ramsey, Minnesota, is planning to develop a community solar garden consisting of 792 panels with an output of 245 kW. Connexus customers will be given an opportunity to invest in financing the project in exchange for a proportional share of the output for 20 years. Click here for more.
Colorado Coop’s Energy Audit REAPs Success
Posted on Apr 10, 2014 in Energy Savings Programs, Financing, Innovation/Efficiency | Comments Off on Colorado Coop’s Energy Audit REAPs Success
Gunnison County Electric Association used a grant from the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) to implement an energy audit program for local small businesses. The program ran from 2010-2012 and demonstrated how important low energy costs can be for small businesses. REAP offers cost-sharing grants and loan guarantees. Two additional REAP funding announcements are expected in...
Vermont Net Metering Frees Customers to Install Solar Panels
Posted on Apr 2, 2014 in Energy Savings Programs, Environmental, Legislative & Politics, Renewable Energy | Comments Off on Vermont Net Metering Frees Customers to Install Solar Panels
Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin recently signed a new law that should help free customers of the state’s electric utilities and allow them to install solar panels on their homes. Previous legislation mandated a cap on the state’s net metering program of 4% of a utility’s peak demand. The new legislation increases this cap to 15%, allowing a greater number of Vermont customers access...
House Passes Bill for High Efficiency Grid-Enabled Water Heaters
Posted on Mar 11, 2014 in Energy Savings Programs, Legislative & Politics | Comments Off on House Passes Bill for High Efficiency Grid-Enabled Water Heaters
Bipartisan legislation that would establish a new category of efficiency standard for water heaters used in demand response programs has cleared the House of Representatives and will next be put before the Senate. The passage of this bill would allow the continued use of water heaters in money- and energy-saving demand response programs by coops. Read more here.
New White Paper Calls for Focus on Grid Stability
Posted on Feb 13, 2014 in Energy Savings Programs, Environmental, Grid & Infrastructure, Innovation/Efficiency, Legislative & Politics, Regulation & Policy, Reliability, Renewable Energy | Comments Off on New White Paper Calls for Focus on Grid Stability
Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska recently issued a white paper warning that grid stability is complicated by coal plant retirements, environmental regulations and requirements for integrating renewable energy resources. Senator Murkowski’s paper, which has been praised by some in the industry, calls for policymakers to place grid reliability and affordability at the front of their...
Vermont Coop Ordered to Stop Net Metering Program
Posted on Dec 13, 2013 in Energy Savings Programs, Legislative & Politics, Regulation & Policy, Renewable Energy | Comments Off on Vermont Coop Ordered to Stop Net Metering Program
The Vermont Public Service Department has directed Washington Electric Co-op (WEC) to suspend its net metering program after the coop attempted to change the program to limit projects to 5 kW due to an existing state cap. The regulator determined that WEC had not been authorized to make this change and therefore must stop accepting applications. The state legislature plans to address...
USDA Unveils Energy Efficiency Program for Rural Coops
Posted on Dec 5, 2013 in Climate Change, Energy Savings Programs, Financing, Innovation/Efficiency, Legislative & Politics, Regulation & Policy, Technology | Comments Off on USDA Unveils Energy Efficiency Program for Rural Coops
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will provide funding to rural coops and utilities to help boost energy efficiency improvements by commercial and residential customers. The Energy Efficiency and Loan Conservation Program plans to provide up to $250 million to rural coops which will, in turn, lend the money to customers to fund energy efficiency projects. To learn more, click...
Massachusetts Coop Holds Groundbreaking Ceremonies for Solar Energy Projects
Posted on Nov 20, 2013 in Energy Savings Programs, Innovation/Efficiency, Project Development, Renewable Energy | Comments Off on Massachusetts Coop Holds Groundbreaking Ceremonies for Solar Energy Projects
This week Cape & Vineyard Electric Cooperative held groundbreaking ceremonies for six of eight solar energy projects it has underway in several Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard towns. The cooperative is hopeful that these eight projects will be operational by spring. Most of the projects are placed on capped landfills and are expected to generate 16 MW of energy. The cooperative...
Vermont Net Metering Dispute Heats Up
Posted on Oct 3, 2013 in Energy Savings Programs, Financing, Project Development, Regulation & Policy, Renewable Energy | Comments Off on Vermont Net Metering Dispute Heats Up
Vermont Electric Cooperative (VEC) seeks to resume its net metering program after reaching the state’s 4% cap on mandatory net metering. VEC’s tariff proposal would adjust credits downward for new participants due to the rapid increase in demand and the decrease in prices associated with net metered solar energy systems. However, Renewable Energy Vermont opposes VEC’s proposal,...
Louisiana Coops Hit Net Metering Cap
Posted on Sep 19, 2013 in Energy Savings Programs, Project Development, Regulation & Policy, Renewable Energy | Comments Off on Louisiana Coops Hit Net Metering Cap
The Louisiana Public Service Commission (PSC) set a September 30 deadline for retail customers to install generating devices (e.g., solar panels) in order to participate in net metering. The deadline applies only to customers of certain coops who have reached the 0.5% cap set by the Louisiana PSC at which the coops are no longer required to offer net metering. Instead, the coops may...
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