Tri-State Electric Breaks Ground on Research Center
Posted on Apr 29, 2016 in Climate Change, Environmental, Innovation/Efficiency, Project Development, Renewable Energy, Technology | Comments Off on Tri-State Electric Breaks Ground on Research Center
Tri-State Electric has just broken ground on the Wyoming Integrated Test Center. The Center is an industrial-scale lab that will research methods that could be used to remove carbon emissions from coal-fired plants and convert them into a revenue-producing resource. Products made from waste carbon emissions could include chemicals, fuels, building materials and graphene.
Drone Amendment to Senate FAA Bill Helpful to Coops
Posted on Apr 20, 2016 in Innovation/Efficiency, Legislative & Politics, Technology | Comments Off on Drone Amendment to Senate FAA Bill Helpful to Coops
Under a bill that passed the Senate by a vote of 95-3, drones may become a more useful tool for electric coops. The drone provisions, which were added as an amendment to a larger bill reauthorizing the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), would ease current restrictions on drones and call for the FAA to set up a process enabling companies with critical infrastructure to use drones...
New Hampshire Coop Launches Peak Demand Management Programs
Posted on Apr 18, 2016 in Energy Savings Programs, Grid & Infrastructure, Innovation/Efficiency | Comments Off on New Hampshire Coop Launches Peak Demand Management Programs
New Hampshire Electric Cooperative (NHEC) has rolled out three voluntary demand management programs designed to incentivize reduced peak time usage and therefore ultimately reduce NHEC’s cost of providing power to its members.
CIPCO Launches State’s Largest Solar Project
Posted on Apr 8, 2016 in Climate Change, Environmental, Innovation/Efficiency, Regulation & Policy, Renewable Energy, Technology | Comments Off on CIPCO Launches State’s Largest Solar Project
Central Iowa Power Cooperative (CIPCO), a G&T based in Des Moines, just launched a new solar project. The first phase of the new utility-scale project will produce up to 5.5 MWs of power by late 2016. CIPCO will be adding to its portfolio of emissions-free sources of energy, which currently make up 54 percent of its energy mix. The decision to build a utility scale solar plant...
TVA Awards Solar Capacity to Three Coops
Posted on Mar 30, 2016 in Environmental, Innovation/Efficiency | Comments Off on TVA Awards Solar Capacity to Three Coops
The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), in partnership with the Tennessee Valley Public Power Association, awarded 16.7 MWs of solar capacity to four power companies, three of which are coops. Chickasaw Electric Cooperative, East Mississippi Electric Power Association and Joe Wheeler Electric Membership Corporation applied for and were awarded this capacity through the Distributed Solar...
PEC’s Empower Loans Now Available to Its Members
Posted on Feb 17, 2016 in Innovation/Efficiency, Renewable Energy | Comments Off on PEC’s Empower Loans Now Available to Its Members
Pedernales Electric Cooperative (PEC) is now offering loans through its Empower Loans program to support qualifying members seeking to install photovoltaic and battery storage systems connected to the coop’s distribution system. These loans can be repaid in monthly installments on the members’ electric bill and are available for up to $20,000 to those residential and commercial...
Supreme Court Grants Stay of Obama Clean Power Plan
Posted on Feb 10, 2016 in Climate Change, Environmental, Innovation/Efficiency, Legislative & Politics, Regulation & Policy, Renewable Energy | Comments Off on Supreme Court Grants Stay of Obama Clean Power Plan
The Supreme Court has granted a stay request from more than two dozen states, plus utilities and coal companies, to put on hold the implementation of President Obama’s Clean Power Plan. The Court’s decision halts implementation but does not address the merits of the pending legal challenge to the plan, which asserts the Environmental Protection Agency has overstepped its powers. An...
NRECA to Help Design Software to Cost-Effectively Improve Grid Resiliency
Posted on Jan 25, 2016 in Grid & Infrastructure, Innovation/Efficiency, Reliability, Technology | Comments Off on NRECA to Help Design Software to Cost-Effectively Improve Grid Resiliency
With a $1.8 million grant from the Department of Energy, the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) will help develop software designed to identify the most cost-effective upgrades that utilities can make to improve grid resiliency in order to reduce economic losses caused by weather-related power outages.
Great River Energy and Other Cooperatives Join Grid Stability Research Project
Posted on Jan 25, 2016 in Innovation/Efficiency, Reliability, Technology | Comments Off on Great River Energy and Other Cooperatives Join Grid Stability Research Project
Great River Energy and other cooperatives in the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) are researching ways to increase grid flexibility in order to integrate more intermittent distributed renewable energy resources. NRECA plans to create a water heater controller and a smart circuit breaker capable of controlling plug-in appliances with the hope of making load...
An End to Geothermal Incentives in Illinois
Posted on Jan 25, 2016 in Climate Change, Environmental, Grid & Infrastructure, Innovation/Efficiency, Project Development, Renewable Energy, Technology | Comments Off on An End to Geothermal Incentives in Illinois
Incentives for geothermal energy systems in Illinois have ended. Geothermal systems are more expensive than traditional fossil fuel based HVAC systems, but result in savings down the road. While in place, the incentives—in the form of grants—helped cooperative members install 51 geothermal projects resulting in an aggregate annual savings of $681,000. The last of the incentive grants...
Subscribe
