NRECA Receives $3.6 Million Cyber Security Grant
Posted on Sep 25, 2013 in Grid & Infrastructure, Innovation/Efficiency, Legislative & Politics, Regulation & Policy, Reliability, Technology | Comments Off on NRECA Receives $3.6 Million Cyber Security Grant
The Department of Energy recently awarded the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) a $3.6 million grant to be used to develop advanced cyber security technology to assist rural cooperatives in monitoring and securely managing their systems from changing threats. NRECA will work with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Carnegie Mellon University, Honeywell...
Louisiana Coop Looks to Grow With CFC Financing Deal
Posted on Sep 23, 2013 in Financing, Grid & Infrastructure | Comments Off on Louisiana Coop Looks to Grow With CFC Financing Deal
Jefferson Davis Electric Cooperative (JDEC), based in Jennings, Louisiana, has refinanced more than $10.7 million in outstanding debt with other lenders, becoming a 100-percent National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation (CFC) borrower. JDEC is expecting substantial growth over the next decade as a result of the ongoing boom in domestic natural gas production. Click here...
Alaska Coop Appeals Order to Bury Lines
Posted on Sep 19, 2013 in Grid & Infrastructure, Land Use, Litigation, Project Development, Regulation & Policy | Comments Off on Alaska Coop Appeals Order to Bury Lines
Matanuska Electric Association (MEA) has filed an appeal of the city of Wasilla’s decision to give MEA a permit to build a 115-kilovolt transmission line only if the coop puts the line underground. The city says that it wants to safeguard Wasilla’s scenery and property values, but MEA has said the requirement to bury the lines could quadruple the cost of the project to $40 million....
Iowa Coops Protest Denial of Aid for Storm Damage
Posted on Sep 19, 2013 in Grid & Infrastructure, Regulation & Policy, Reliability | Comments Off on Iowa Coops Protest Denial of Aid for Storm Damage
Representatives of several Iowa power providers traveled to Washington, D.C., after they learned the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) denied disaster aid for coops in Dickinson, Osceola, Lyon, Sioux and O’Brien counties. Three Iowa electric cooperatives and two municipal utilities reported damage to infrastructure after a severe ice storm passed through the Iowa Great Lakes...
Colorado Coops Crippled by Floods
Posted on Sep 17, 2013 in Grid & Infrastructure, Reliability | Comments Off on Colorado Coops Crippled by Floods
Colorado electric coops have not begun calculating the damage to their systems from the recent floods because crews cannot access the damaged areas. The roads – especially bridges – have been so hard hit by rising waters that crews are forced to wait before they can respond and repair. Click here for more.
USDA Announces $11 Million in Loan Guarantees for Smart Grid Improvements
Posted on Sep 9, 2013 in Financing, Grid & Infrastructure, Innovation/Efficiency, Legislative & Politics, Regulation & Policy, Technology | Comments Off on USDA Announces $11 Million in Loan Guarantees for Smart Grid Improvements
At a recent regional meeting of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack highlighted the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) funding of projects across eight states, including $11 million in loan guarantees for smart grid improvements. See the USDA press release for a complete list of projects.
Colorado Coop Continues Restoration Efforts After Fire
Posted on Aug 30, 2013 in Grid & Infrastructure, Reliability | Comments Off on Colorado Coop Continues Restoration Efforts After Fire
Mountain View Electric Association is working to rebuild damaged power supply infrastructure, including 41 miles of distribution lines, following the Black Forest fire near Colorado Springs. The coop continues to work diligently and has already restored more than half of the downed distribution lines. The blog Powering the West has more on Mountain View’s progress.
Kentucky Coops Gear Up for Cybersecurity Review
Posted on Aug 22, 2013 in Grid & Infrastructure, Regulation & Policy, Reliability | Comments Off on Kentucky Coops Gear Up for Cybersecurity Review
The Kentucky Public Service Commission received a grant from the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners to conduct a cybersecurity study of several electric distribution coops. The effort will result in a report that identifies cybersecurity risks, best practices and recommended next steps to protect infrastructure at a reasonable cost to ratepayers. Click here for...
Coop Expresses Transmission Concerns with Wind Proposal
Posted on Aug 20, 2013 in Grid & Infrastructure, Land Use, Project Development, Renewable Energy | Comments Off on Coop Expresses Transmission Concerns with Wind Proposal
BNE Energy, a Connecticut company, is seeking to develop a new six-turbine, 18-MW wind project adjacent to Green Mountain Power’s existing 21-turbine Kingdom Community wind project. Some are saying there is not enough available transmission for both. Vermont Electric Cooperative has weighed in on the subject, expressing concern that the new turbines would exacerbate the...
Transmission Line Raises Cost Allocation Issues
Posted on Aug 16, 2013 in Grid & Infrastructure, Innovation/Efficiency | Comments Off on Transmission Line Raises Cost Allocation Issues
The city planning commission in Wasilla, Alaska, is requiring Matanuska Electric Association to build new power lines underground to preserve scenic views along the Parks Highway near Wasilla. The $40 million project is approximately four times the cost of standard above-ground transmission poles. The coop recently announced its plan to file a tariff case allocating costs to...
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