CFC Report Provides National Overview of Renewable Energy Projects
Posted on Sep 25, 2012 in Environmental, Financing, Grid & Infrastructure, Innovation/Efficiency | Comments Off on CFC Report Provides National Overview of Renewable Energy Projects
The National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation (CFC) provided a report on the progress of various renewable energy projects at the National Renewables Cooperative Organization’s (NRCO) September meeting. John List, the CFC senior vice president of Member Services, discussed the funding behind current and future renewable energy projects. Mr. List reported that since...
FERC Launches New Cybersecurity Office
Posted on Sep 21, 2012 in Grid & Infrastructure, Legislative & Politics, Regulation & Policy, Reliability | Comments Off on FERC Launches New Cybersecurity Office
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is creating a new office to address cyber and physical security risks to FERC-jurisdictional facilities, such as electric generation and transmission facilities, oil and gas pipelines, and LNG terminals. The new Office of Energy Infrastructure Security (OEIS) will rely on FERC’s existing statutory authority in providing “leadership,...
Plan to Bury Transmission Lines Met With Opposition from Mid-Atlantic Coops
Posted on Sep 20, 2012 in Grid & Infrastructure, Litigation, Project Development, Rates | Comments Off on Plan to Bury Transmission Lines Met With Opposition from Mid-Atlantic Coops
Old Dominion Electric Cooperative and North Carolina Electric Membership Corporation are among the wholesalers disputing whether they must help pay to bury three Virginia transmission lines as currently proposed by the Virginia Electric and Power Co. in transmission rate agreements with the wholesalers. The wholesalers argue that burying the lines is a purely local retail decision...
Utility Coop Reaches Critical Supply Agreement
Posted on Sep 19, 2012 in Grid & Infrastructure, Innovation/Efficiency, Rates | Comments Off on Utility Coop Reaches Critical Supply Agreement
Golden Valley Electric Association (GVEA) and BP Exploration have reached a natural gas supply contract, which will allow GVEA to purchase up to 23 billion cubic feet (bcf) of natural gas per year. Since GVEA will likely not use more than 3.5 bcf of natural gas for local generation, the remaining gas will be available for other distribution purposes. The agreement represents an...
NRECA Recommends Approval of Revised “Bulk Electric System” Definition
Posted on Sep 13, 2012 in Grid & Infrastructure, Regulation & Policy, Reliability | Comments Off on NRECA Recommends Approval of Revised “Bulk Electric System” Definition
The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) recently submitted a filing with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) (Docket Nos. RM12-6, RM12-7) supporting the revised definition of the term “Bulk Electric System” as approved by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) in January. The NRECA noted that the revised definition would better focus...
MPSC Orders Opt-Out Right for Smart Meters
Posted on Sep 13, 2012 in Grid & Infrastructure, Innovation/Efficiency, Regulation & Policy | Comments Off on MPSC Orders Opt-Out Right for Smart Meters
Due to cost concerns raised by customers, the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) has ordered certain investor-owned electric utilities to provide an opt-out option for Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI), based on cost-of-service principles, for their customers if the utility elects to implement AMI. The entire order, including the list of applicable electric utilities, can...
Refurbished Montana Plant Goes Online
Posted on Sep 10, 2012 in Financing, Grid & Infrastructure, Project Development | Comments Off on Refurbished Montana Plant Goes Online
The city of Whitefish, Montana, once again has its own hydroelectric plant. Last year, city officials negotiated a deal with an electric cooperative that outlined power delivery terms for a 20-year period, in two separate phases. The 30-year-old plant, which was recently rebuilt, now has a refurbished generator, turbine and controls. Flathead Electric Cooperative paid the city...
USDA Meets Goal for Smart Grid Funding
Posted on Sep 10, 2012 in Financing, Grid & Infrastructure, Innovation/Efficiency, Project Development, Technology | Comments Off on USDA Meets Goal for Smart Grid Funding
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has reached its $250 million goal to finance smart grid technologies. The Secretary also said that nine rural electric cooperatives and utilities in 10 states will receive loan guarantees to make improvements to generation and transmission facilities and implement smart grid technologies. Click here to...
CFC Annual Report Shows High Performance Among Coops
Posted on Sep 10, 2012 in Economic Downturn, Energy Savings Programs, Grid & Infrastructure | Comments Off on CFC Annual Report Shows High Performance Among Coops
Electric coops performed well against a backdrop of challenging economic times in 2011, according to the G&T Key Performance Indicators (KPI) report by the National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation (CFC). Energy sales and peak growth slowed in 2011, while wholesale rates continued to increase. The report shows that, over the last five years, the median G&T...
Coops Assist in Hurricane Isaac Restoration Efforts
Posted on Aug 31, 2012 in Grid & Infrastructure | Comments Off on Coops Assist in Hurricane Isaac Restoration Efforts
Coops from across the Southeast have sent repair crews to areas affected by Hurricane Isaac. A wide variety of coops, both those directly affected by the storm and otherwise, are lending a hand to help restore power to more than 1 million people, including 200,000 coop members, who lost power as a result of the storm. Electric Co-op Today has the full story.
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