New RUS Administrator Appointed
Posted on Mar 30, 2015 in Financing, Legislative & Politics, Regulation & Policy | Comments Off on New RUS Administrator Appointed
President Obama has appointed Brandon McBride as the new Administrator of the USDA’s Rural Utilities Service (RUS). Mr. McBride served as a Senior Professional Staff on the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry from 2009 through his appointment. Prior to that, he served as a Legislative Assistant and Grants Specialist for Senator Blanche Lincoln from 2003 to 2009...
Solar Component Discounts Offered to Coops
Posted on Jan 22, 2015 in Financing, Project Development, Regulation & Policy, Renewable Energy | Comments Off on Solar Component Discounts Offered to Coops
Through the Vendor Management Office of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, coops have an opportunity to receive significant vendor discounts on photovoltaic modules, racking structures and inverters—three major components of utility-scale solar projects. Coops will still need to negotiate commercial terms and conduct their own research to determine whether solar...
Arizona Coops Relieved From Solar Incentive Payments
Posted on Dec 30, 2014 in Financing, Regulation & Policy, Renewable Energy | Comments Off on Arizona Coops Relieved From Solar Incentive Payments
The Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) has granted the requests of Sulphur Springs Valley Electric Cooperative and Graham County Electric Cooperative to remove a requirement that each coop offer customers solar incentives for leased distributed generation systems. The ACC may expand the decision to other coops and is investigating, among other things, consumer protection...
Fitch Ratings—Stable Outlook for Power in 2015
Posted on Dec 11, 2014 in Financing, Grid & Infrastructure | Comments Off on Fitch Ratings—Stable Outlook for Power in 2015
Fitch Ratings’ 2015 Outlook reports that electric coops and other power suppliers are positioned to meet several near-term challenges, such as impending environmental regulatory deadlines, rate pressures and energy efficiency. The results are a “Stable” outlook and ratings for the sector. Click here to learn more.
CoBank Names New Senior VP—Electric Distribution, Water and Community Facilities
Posted on Nov 19, 2014 in Financing | Comments Off on CoBank Names New Senior VP—Electric Distribution, Water and Community Facilities
CoBank has named Nivin Elgohary as its Senior Vice President, Electric Distribution, Water, and Community Facilities. Elgohary previously served as Assistant Administrator with the Rural Utilities Service. To read more about this story please click here.
USDA Announces Loan Guarantees for Rural Improvements
Posted on Oct 17, 2014 in Financing, Grid & Infrastructure, Regulation & Policy, Reliability, Renewable Energy | Comments Off on USDA Announces Loan Guarantees for Rural Improvements
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced $1.4 billion in loan guarantees to improve rural electric infrastructure, including moneys for smart grid and renewable energy investments. Electric coops were among the recipients of this recent round of funding. Click here for more information.
Recent CoBank Report Indicates Solar Growth
Posted on Oct 15, 2014 in Financing, Project Development, Renewable Energy | Comments Off on Recent CoBank Report Indicates Solar Growth
CoBank recently released a report noting that the U.S. could experience a jump in solar installations of more than 70 percent by 2016. The study projects that solar installation will increase from 7 GW in 2014 to 12 GW in 2016. The increase is based in large part on the Solar Investment Tax Credit, which is currently 30 percent but will drop to 10 percent in 2017. Click here to read...
Kentucky Coop Participates in a Collaborative Solar Project for Army Base
Posted on Oct 6, 2014 in Environmental, Financing, Grid & Infrastructure, Innovation/Efficiency, Land Use, Renewable Energy | Comments Off on Kentucky Coop Participates in a Collaborative Solar Project for Army Base
Pennyrile Rural Electric Cooperative has joined forces with the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet, the Department of Defense at Fort Campbell and the U.S. Department of Energy (USDOE) to build a 5-Mw solar photovoltaic panel system at Fort Campbell. The group’s plan would result in building the largest solar array in Kentucky. Since forming the collaborative has accumulated...
Coops among Recipients of USDA Rural Development Loans and Grants
Posted on Sep 25, 2014 in Financing, Project Development, Regulation & Policy | Comments Off on Coops among Recipients of USDA Rural Development Loans and Grants
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced $59 million in funding to support businesses and promote economic growth in rural communities. Coops are among the recipients through the Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant Program, which provides zero-interest loans to rural utilities that in turn lend to local businesses. Click here for more information.
CFTC Approves Exclusion for Utility Special Entities
Posted on Sep 19, 2014 in Financing, Regulation & Policy | Comments Off on CFTC Approves Exclusion for Utility Special Entities
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) approved a final rule this week to exclude certain swaps used in utility operations from one threshold used to identify swap dealers. The rule change will give counterparties additional flexibility to transact with utility special entities while avoiding the regulatory burdens associated with the “swap dealer” designation. Power and gas...
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