Illinois Coops Merge
Posted on May 7, 2013 in Corporate Governance, Grid & Infrastructure, Mergers/Acquisitions | Comments Off on Illinois Coops Merge
Two Illinois electric coops, Jo-Carroll Energy, Inc. and Farmers Mutual Electric Company, have merged. The integrated coop, Jo-Carroll Energy, will serve a combined 21,372 electric members and will be a 100-percent National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation borrower. Click here for more.
Coop Building Peaking Stations in North Dakota
Posted on May 6, 2013 in Grid & Infrastructure, Land Use, Project Development | Comments Off on Coop Building Peaking Stations in North Dakota
Basin Electric Power Cooperative (Basin Electric), with headquarters in Bismarck, North Dakota, is building two new 45-MW, natural gas-fired peaking stations to help meet the increased demand for electricity. The Pioneer Generation Station, which is being built about 15 miles northwest of Williston, is scheduled for commercial operation in June. The Lonesome Creek Station, which is...
Four Coops to Receive RUS Loans
Posted on May 6, 2013 in Financing, Grid & Infrastructure, Project Development | Comments Off on Four Coops to Receive RUS Loans
Colorado-based Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association (Tri-State), Georgia-based Blue Ridge Mountain Electric Membership Corporation, Texas-based Rio Grande Electric Cooperative and Ohio-based Logan County Cooperative Power & Light Association will receive more than $126 million in loans from the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) for infrastructure upgrades, including $20...
USDA to Provide More Rural Electric Project Funding
Posted on Apr 30, 2013 in Grid & Infrastructure, Technology | Comments Off on USDA to Provide More Rural Electric Project Funding
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is providing funding for four rural electric projects in eight states to enhance reliable, affordable electricity for rural residents. These projects, which will employ smart grid technology, are the latest in approximately 650 rural electric utility projects funded since 2009. Specifically the USDA is providing more than $126 million in...
Out With the Old, in With the New – CIP Version 5 on the Horizon
Posted on Apr 25, 2013 in Grid & Infrastructure, Regulation & Policy, Reliability | Comments Off on Out With the Old, in With the New – CIP Version 5 on the Horizon
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has proposed a rule to approve the long-awaited Version 5 of the North American Electric Reliability Corporation’s Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) Reliability Standards, which will overhaul the CIP regulatory framework and trigger new and revised compliance obligations for many users, owners and operators of the bulk electric...
Two Electric Cooperatives Rank in Top 10 for Solar Generation Wattage Per Member
Posted on Apr 24, 2013 in Environmental, Grid & Infrastructure, Renewable Energy | Comments Off on Two Electric Cooperatives Rank in Top 10 for Solar Generation Wattage Per Member
The Solar Electric Power Association included two electric cooperatives in its list of top 10 utilities incorporating solar generation wattage per member. Kaua’i Island Utility Cooperative, which had been ranked at twelfth place in 2011, moved to second place, adding 282 watts of solar electricity capacity per member last year. Chickasaw Electric Cooperative, ranked fifth on the...
Information Sharing Cyber Security Bill to Go to Senate
Posted on Apr 23, 2013 in Grid & Infrastructure, Innovation/Efficiency, Legislative & Politics, Regulation & Policy, Reliability, Technology | Comments Off on Information Sharing Cyber Security Bill to Go to Senate
The Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act, a bill that could help electric coops defend against threats, has cleared the U.S. House of Representatives. The bill would encourage the sharing of cyber threat information between the federal government and the private sector, including coops. The next step is for the bill to clear the Senate. For more information, click...
Colorado Senate Passes Bill to Raise Renewable Energy Requirements
Posted on Apr 17, 2013 in Grid & Infrastructure, Innovation/Efficiency, Legislative & Politics, Project Development, Rates, Regulation & Policy | Comments Off on Colorado Senate Passes Bill to Raise Renewable Energy Requirements
Colorado Senators passed a bill 18-17 this week that would dramatically raise renewable energy requirements for the state’s electric coops. The bill would require the electricity coops to get 25 percent of their energy from renewable sources by 2020, which is a 10 percent increase from present requirements. The bill also would limit consumer rate increases for these upgrades to 2...
USDA Announces Funding for Rural Electric Cooperatives
Posted on Apr 10, 2013 in Financing, Grid & Infrastructure, Legislative & Politics, Reliability | Comments Off on USDA Announces Funding for Rural Electric Cooperatives
Today the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced plans to provide nearly $280 million in funding for projects designed to improve rural electric service. The funds, which will address service in rural areas across 13 states, will contribute to the construction of more than 1,900 miles of new or improved transmission and distribution lines. For a complete list of rural...
Wind Projects Cause Instability in Vermont Grid
Posted on Apr 9, 2013 in Grid & Infrastructure, Project Development, Renewable Energy, Technology | Comments Off on Wind Projects Cause Instability in Vermont Grid
The CEO of Vermont Electric Cooperative (VEC) has indicated that the coop will oppose any new large wind projects in northern Vermont because existing wind projects have introduced instability in the grid, prompting grid operator ISO-New England to order existing wind projects in Vermont and New Hampshire to curtail electricity output. As a result, wind farm turbines are not being...
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