Coops Urge EPA to Slow Down Carbon Rule for Existing Plants
Posted on Oct 29, 2013 in Climate Change, Environmental, Rates, Regulation & Policy | Comments Off on Coops Urge EPA to Slow Down Carbon Rule for Existing Plants
The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) first “listening session” for its pending Clean Air Act emissions standards had a strong showing from coops. The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, along with individual coops from three states, proposed a fair solution that recognizes the billions of dollars already invested by coops to clean up existing plants and allows...
House Passes Bill Protecting Access to Low-Cost Hydropower
Posted on Oct 25, 2013 in Legislative & Politics, Rates, Regulation & Policy | Comments Off on House Passes Bill Protecting Access to Low-Cost Hydropower
The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill by a margin of 417-3 that limits the ability of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to change its hydroelectric projects in ways that could result in increased rates for coops. Read the full story here.
Alaska Coop Seeks Purchase of For-Profit Utility
Posted on Oct 14, 2013 in Corporate Governance, Mergers/Acquisitions, Rates, Regulation & Policy | Comments Off on Alaska Coop Seeks Purchase of For-Profit Utility
Alaska Village Electric Cooperative (AVEC), which serves Western Alaska, is seeking to buy Bethel Utilities Corporation (BUC), a for-profit company. According to AVEC’s President, the buyout, on schedule to become effective this Spring, would cut electric rates for customers of both entities. BUC’s rates could drop by 8 to 10 percent immediately. The two entities jointly sought...
Montana Coops Discuss Sage Grouse and Renewable Portfolio Standard
Posted on Oct 3, 2013 in Environmental, Legislative & Politics, Rates, Renewable Energy | Comments Off on Montana Coops Discuss Sage Grouse and Renewable Portfolio Standard
Efforts to avoid listing the sage grouse as an endangered species and changes to the Montana Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) were among the issues discussed at the annual Montana Electric Cooperatives’ Association meeting. Efforts to save the sage grouse may require coops to reroute existing lines or plan new lines to avoid breeding locations, which may increase member rates. The...
Distribution Coop Approves Community Solar Initiative
Posted on Sep 21, 2013 in Corporate Governance, Project Development, Rates, Regulation & Policy, Renewable Energy | Comments Off on Distribution Coop Approves Community Solar Initiative
The board of La Plata Electric Association (LPEA), based in Colorado, recently approved a program where 10 or more members can apply to develop a community solar garden and sell the power back to the coop. LPEA is accepting proposals through year’s end. The Durango Herald has the full story.
Oklahoma Coop Considering Merger
Posted on Sep 9, 2013 in Corporate Governance, Mergers/Acquisitions, Rates, Reliability | Comments Off on Oklahoma Coop Considering Merger
Canadian Valley Electric Cooperative (CVEC), based in Seminole, Oklahoma, has notified about 24,000 customers that it is contemplating a consolidation or joint operations with Central Rural Electric Cooperative, a 22,000 member coop based in Stillwater, Oklahoma. CVEC believes that a consolidation might offer rate stability for members through cost sharing of cooperative and utility...
Coops Urge EPA to Accept Wyoming’s Haze Pollution Plan
Posted on Sep 3, 2013 in Climate Change, Environmental, Rates, Regulation & Policy | Comments Off on Coops Urge EPA to Accept Wyoming’s Haze Pollution Plan
If coops and the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association get their way, Wyoming’s plan to control haze from the power sector will be fully approved as compliant with federal law. Comments submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) argue that Wyoming’s approach is reasonable, and electric coop consumer-members would pay more than necessary if the EPA goes forth with...
Virginia State Corporation Commission Approves Prepaid Electric Service Program
Posted on Aug 28, 2013 in Rates | Comments Off on Virginia State Corporation Commission Approves Prepaid Electric Service Program
The Virginia State Corporation Commission has approved a program that will allow Rappahannock Electric Cooperative (REC) customers to enroll in a voluntary prepaid electric service program. This program, the first of its kind in Virginia, would let customers pay upfront fees for electricity and allow REC to suspend service when insufficient funds remain in a customer’s account. To...
Kentucky Coops Strike Deal to Keep Smelter in Western Kentucky
Posted on Aug 16, 2013 in Economic Downturn, Legislative & Politics, Rates, Regulation & Policy | Comments Off on Kentucky Coops Strike Deal to Keep Smelter in Western Kentucky
The Kentucky Public Service Commission (PSC) recently approved a power supply arrangement between Big Rivers Electric Corporation (Big Rivers), Kenergy Corp. (Kenergy) and Century Aluminum Company that allows the aluminum smelter to purchase power on the wholesale market through Big Rivers and Kenergy while reimbursing the coops for certain costs arising from the arrangement. For more...
Vermont Coop Limits Future Solar Installations
Posted on Aug 15, 2013 in Energy Savings Programs, Environmental, Grid & Infrastructure, Innovation/Efficiency, Rates, Renewable Energy | Comments Off on Vermont Coop Limits Future Solar Installations
Washington Electric Co-op (WEC) has announced that, as of October, it will limit the use of net metering for future solar installations on its system to the size of 5 kilowatts. In Vermont, the practice of net metering allows a utility’s members to make solar installations on a utility’s system and sell such power to the utility. WEC’s decision to limit the size of future...
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