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Electric Coops Ask Supreme Court to Block Clean Power Plan

Electric cooperatives are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to put the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Power Plan on hold until all legal challenges are resolved.  The petition comes after a federal appeals court rejected a similar request less than a week earlier.

DC Circuit Refuses to Delay Implementation of Clean Power Plan

In a setback to dozens of states and industry groups, the D.C. Circuit Court refused to delay the Clean Power Plan (CPP) while legal challenges are ongoing. The petitioners argued that they will be irreparably harmed by starting the compliance process. Basin Electric Power Cooperative has argued that it will lose a lot of money if they comply with the CPP and it is later scrapped by...

An End to Geothermal Incentives in Illinois

Incentives for geothermal energy systems in Illinois have ended. Geothermal systems are more expensive than traditional fossil fuel based HVAC systems, but result in savings down the road. While in place, the incentives—in the form of grants—helped cooperative members install 51 geothermal projects resulting in an aggregate annual savings of $681,000. The last of the incentive grants...

Colorado Coop Begins Supplying Additional Solar Power

Poudre Valley Rural Electric Cooperative (Poudre) recently began supplying members with additional solar energy from two large solar plants. The plants, owned by Silicon Ranch Corporation, will supply power to Poudre’s members pursuant to an outputs contract. The two plants produce a combined 8 megawatts of power from 100,000 panels and will supply enough electricity to meet the needs...

Enel Starts Construction of Oklahoma Wind Farm

Enel Green Power North America Inc. has started construction of the $180 million Drift Sand project in Grady County, Oklahoma.  The project is expected to be completed by the end of the year and electricity from the project will go to Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corp. under a long-term power-purchase agreement.

Construction to Begin at Silicon Ranch Solar Energy Plant in Georgia

Construction on Silicon Ranch’s new 52 MWac solar energy plant is set to begin on February 1. Once completed, the plant will occupy approximately 450 acres, employ more than 200 workers and will harness enough solar energy to power the homes of approximately 8,500 of Green Power EMC’s members.

House Resolves to Overturn EPA’s “Waters of the U.S.” Rule

The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed a resolution to overturn the “Waters of the U.S.” rule issued last year by the EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers.  The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association praised the resolution, as coops nationwide have expressed concern over the rule’s dramatic expansion of federal regulation of waterways.

NRECA Suggests Changes to Clean Power Plan’s “Safety Valve”

The NRECA filed a petition on December 21 requesting that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) include a more robust “safety valve” in its Clean Power Plan to allow power providers relief from emissions standards in the event that those standards will have adverse effects on reliability.  The EPA’s plan does include a “safety valve,” but the current structure may be insufficient...

Power Generators Challenge Clean Power Plan

A federal appeals court is considering whether to add six separate lawsuits to a claim filed by 26 states against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for its proposed Clean Power Plan.

Georgia EMC Adds Solar Power Facility

Green Power EMC of Georgia (Green Power) has entered into a 25-year power purchase contract with Silicon Ranch Corporation (Silicon Ranch).  Under the contract Green Power will purchase the full output of a Silicon Ranch solar project located in Jeff Davis County, Georgia.  The Solar Project, which occupies 135 acres of land, contains 187,000 solar panels and is expected to produce...

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