DOE Recognizes Farmers Electric Cooperative as a Green Power Leader
Posted on May 10, 2011 in Climate Change, Grid & Infrastructure, Renewable Energy | Comments Off on DOE Recognizes Farmers Electric Cooperative as a Green Power Leader
The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) recognized Farmers Electric Cooperative of Kalona, Iowa, in its annual assessment of leading utility green power programs. Using information provided by utilities, NREL has developed “Top 10” rankings of utility green power programs for 2010 in the following categories: total sales of...
North Dakota, Montana Join Much of the Country in Struggle With Weather-Related Power Outages
Posted on May 3, 2011 in Grid & Infrastructure, Reliability | Comments Off on North Dakota, Montana Join Much of the Country in Struggle With Weather-Related Power Outages
Rural towns in Montana and North Dakota are expected to be left in the dark for weeks after an outage that started around midnight on Friday, according to Montana-Dakota Utilities. Utilities in the area, including several coops such as Mountrail-Williams Electric, have been working at a furious pace to keep up with the downed transmission lines caused by storms. More on the costs and...
Coops Working Hard to Restore Power After Alabama Storms
Posted on Apr 29, 2011 in Grid & Infrastructure, Reliability | Comments Off on Coops Working Hard to Restore Power After Alabama Storms
The Montgomery Advertiser reported that coop repair crews are traveling from other states to assist with the restoration efforts in Alabama. As many as 230,000 customers from thirteen different coops are without power across the state.
Chevron Begins Operations of New Solar Field
Posted on Apr 20, 2011 in Environmental, Grid & Infrastructure, Innovation/Efficiency, Renewable Energy | Comments Off on Chevron Begins Operations of New Solar Field
Chevron Mining has begun the operations of a solar field located in New Mexico. The company installed concentrating photovoltaic technology, which uses lenses to collect and focus direct sunlight onto layers of high efficiency cells on the site of Chevron’s molybdenum mine in Questa, New Mexico. Read more about the solar field’s technology, including 173 solar trackers, here.
Coops in North Carolina and Virginia Plan Sharp Rate Hikes
Posted on Apr 20, 2011 in Financing, Grid & Infrastructure, Rates | Comments Off on Coops in North Carolina and Virginia Plan Sharp Rate Hikes
North Carolina-based ElectriCities Inc. and Virginia-based Rappahannock Electric Cooperative are both planning rate increases of as much as 30 percent. According to ElectriCities, rates for the 19 cities that buy power from it would increase a cumulative total of 29.2 percent over the next five years if the coop does not restructure its debt. A full debt restructuring would limit rate...
Coop Manager Sees Pay-As-You-Go Power On The Horizon
Posted on Apr 19, 2011 in Energy Savings Programs, Grid & Infrastructure, Innovation/Efficiency | Comments Off on Coop Manager Sees Pay-As-You-Go Power On The Horizon
According to Covington Electric Cooperative (CEC) general manager Ed Short, pay-as-you-go energy consumption may be coming to consumers in the foreseeable future. In his speech to CEC members at their annual meeting last Thursday, Short said a new meter-reading system is currently being installed to save operating costs and provide members with information they’ll need to manage energy...
Ten Electric Cooperatives Awarded Funding for Transmission, Distribution and Smart Grid Improvements
Posted on Apr 6, 2011 in Energy Savings Programs, Financing, Grid & Infrastructure, Innovation/Efficiency | Comments Off on Ten Electric Cooperatives Awarded Funding for Transmission, Distribution and Smart Grid Improvements
According to a USDA news release, the $376 million awarded as loans to coops will promote efficiency and improve reliability for more than 20,000 coop customers. The loans include almost $14 million for smart grid technologies.
Upsurge in North Dakota Demand Sees Additional Investment
Posted on Mar 31, 2011 in Grid & Infrastructure, Project Development | Comments Off on Upsurge in North Dakota Demand Sees Additional Investment
Central Power Electric Cooperative plans to invest $10 million in additional infrastructure to meet growing demand for power in the Minot, North Dakota, area. Significant oil field development prompted the need for additional power, both to supply the oil wells and to provide electricity to a growing workforce. Central Power aims to build enough capacity to sustain the area’s...
NRECA MultiSpeak Initiative Gains Another Vendor
Posted on Mar 29, 2011 in Grid & Infrastructure, Innovation/Efficiency, Technology | Comments Off on NRECA MultiSpeak Initiative Gains Another Vendor
In a press release today, Utility, Inc. announced it has become a vendor member of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s (NRECA) MultiSpeak Initiative, a collaborative effort to expand a software standard in interoperability mechanisms as adopted by electric utilities. Rural electric coops nationwide already use Utility, Inc.’s products, which allow industry...
Ohio County Will Pay Coop to String Fiber-Optic Cable
Posted on Mar 14, 2011 in Grid & Infrastructure, Innovation/Efficiency, Project Development | Comments Off on Ohio County Will Pay Coop to String Fiber-Optic Cable
Delaware County, Ohio, is making a $655,000 investment in fiber-optic cable. The county has engaged Consolidated Electric Cooperative to string 288 strands of fiber-optic cable along Route 23. Half will be used by the county and the other half will be operated by the cooperative. The choice to invest in fiber-optics came after county officials were unprepared when asked about their...
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