New RUS Administrator Appointed
Posted on Mar 30, 2015 in Financing, Legislative & Politics, Regulation & Policy | Comments Off on New RUS Administrator Appointed
President Obama has appointed Brandon McBride as the new Administrator of the USDA’s Rural Utilities Service (RUS). Mr. McBride served as a Senior Professional Staff on the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry from 2009 through his appointment. Prior to that, he served as a Legislative Assistant and Grants Specialist for Senator Blanche Lincoln from 2003 to 2009...
NRECA Argues Against CEQ Greenhouse Gas Proposal
Posted on Mar 26, 2015 in Climate Change, Environmental, Legislative & Politics, Regulation & Policy | Comments Off on NRECA Argues Against CEQ Greenhouse Gas Proposal
The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) commented Tuesday on draft guidance submitted by the Whitehouse Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ). The draft guidance would require agencies to consider the effect of a proposed action on climate change. NRECA argued that the proposed guidance would complicate compliance with the EPA’s proposed Clean Power Plan, which...
EPA Proposes Costly New Water Regulations
Posted on Mar 25, 2015 in Climate Change, Environmental, Land Use, Legislative & Politics, Permitting, Project Development, Regulation & Policy, Renewable Energy | Comments Off on EPA Proposes Costly New Water Regulations
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed new water regulations which would increase costs and require extensive permitting for power line construction and maintenance. At a hearing on the proposed rules, Russ Biggica of the Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association warned Congress that the rules would drive up costs for cooperatives, including the cost of renewable energy...
Reduction in South Dakota Coop Taxes Vetoed
Posted on Mar 23, 2015 in Legislative & Politics, Tax | Comments Off on Reduction in South Dakota Coop Taxes Vetoed
South Dakota Governor Dennis Daugaard has vetoed a bill that would have slightly reduced electric cooperatives’ taxes by rolling back a recent administrative decision on how state tax for electric cooperatives is determined and excluding municipal taxes from calculations of state tax liability. Click here for more.
Minnesota Supreme Court Upholds Strict Interpretation of State’s “Buy the Farm” Law
Posted on Mar 9, 2015 in Grid & Infrastructure, Land Use, Legislative & Politics, Litigation, Project Development | Comments Off on Minnesota Supreme Court Upholds Strict Interpretation of State’s “Buy the Farm” Law
Great River Energy will be required to purchase 218.85 acres of land on which it will construct transmission lines, rather than the 8.86 acre strip it wished to purchase, a recent Minnesota Supreme Court decision held. The decision was based on the state’s “Buy the Farm” statue, which requires utility companies to buy out property owners upon request when building power lines. Click...
NRECA Urges EPA to Maintain Current Ozone Standard
Posted on Feb 3, 2015 in Climate Change, Environmental, Legislative & Politics, Regulation & Policy | Comments Off on NRECA Urges EPA to Maintain Current Ozone Standard
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed additional restrictions on ozone standards. The newer standards would be very costly to power plants, which might require owners to choose between implementing expensive emissions controls for coal and natural gas-fired units or shutting such units down. Carol Whitman, senior environmental principal at the National Rural...
EPA Delays Final Carbon Emissions Rules
Posted on Jan 12, 2015 in Environmental, Legislative & Politics, Regulation & Policy | Comments Off on EPA Delays Final Carbon Emissions Rules
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on January 7 that it would postpone releasing final carbon emission rules until “mid-summer.” The EPA had been expected to finalize emissions standards for new generation on January 8 and existing generation on June 1. Click here to read more.
New Mexico Coop Settles Dispute with Native American Tribe
Posted on Jan 7, 2015 in Land Use, Legislative & Politics | Comments Off on New Mexico Coop Settles Dispute with Native American Tribe
Continental Divide Electric Cooperative (CDEC) has settled a long-standing dispute with the Pueblo of Acoma regarding CDEC’s right of access to Pueblo lands. Pursuant to the settlement, CDEC will have the ability to serve the Pueblo of Acoma under a new license agreement, and the Acoma have three years to exercise an option to acquire the electrical equipment and related facilities of...
Coop Employees See Added Pension Security
Posted on Dec 18, 2014 in Corporate Governance, Legislative & Politics, Tax | Comments Off on Coop Employees See Added Pension Security
President Obama recently signed into law a new measure to ensure that current coop employees under the age of 62 maintain access to the “quasi-retirement” feature of the NRECA Retirement Security Plan. Absent the new law, these employees would not receive the full distribution earned and for which electric coops have paid. To learn more about this exciting development, please click...
Supreme Court Agrees to Review Significant EPA Rule
Posted on Dec 2, 2014 in Legislative & Politics, Litigation, Mergers/Acquisitions, Regulation & Policy | Comments Off on Supreme Court Agrees to Review Significant EPA Rule
The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to review the new power plant emissions caps of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The suit was brought by industry trade groups and almost two dozen states, who argued that the EPA did not adequately consider the costs associated with complying with this regulation. The immediate effect of any ruling in this case may be limited, as utilities...
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