EPA Decision in Wyoming Means Big Dollars for Basin Electric
Posted on Jan 16, 2014 in Environmental, Litigation, Regulation & Policy, Technology | Comments Off on EPA Decision in Wyoming Means Big Dollars for Basin Electric
A recent decision by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will impose a stricter emissions limit in Wyoming that will force utilities and coops, including Basin Electric Power Cooperative (Basin Electric), to invest in expensive technologies to comply by early 2019. The compliance costs are estimated upwards of $1 billion in capital costs and hundreds of millions in operating...
NRECA: NIST Cyber Security Framework Should Consider Needs of Coops
Posted on Dec 26, 2013 in Grid & Infrastructure, Regulation & Policy, Reliability, Technology | Comments Off on NRECA: NIST Cyber Security Framework Should Consider Needs of Coops
The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) is urging the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to keep in mind the varying organizations and structures of companies operating in the energy sector when developing its Cyber Security Framework (Framework), a project undertaken in response to a February 2013 executive order issued by President Obama. The...
USDA to Provide More than $1.8 Billion in Funding
Posted on Dec 16, 2013 in Financing, Grid & Infrastructure, Innovation/Efficiency, Legislative & Politics, Project Development, Regulation & Policy, Reliability, Renewable Energy, Technology | Comments Off on USDA to Provide More than $1.8 Billion in Funding
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced on Friday that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) will provide over $1.8 billion to fund electric utility infrastructure improvements in 25 states and one territory. The USDA-funded improvements include smart grid and renewable energy projects and the building or improvement of more than 6,500 miles of transmission lines. ...
USDA Unveils Energy Efficiency Program for Rural Coops
Posted on Dec 5, 2013 in Climate Change, Energy Savings Programs, Financing, Innovation/Efficiency, Legislative & Politics, Regulation & Policy, Technology | Comments Off on USDA Unveils Energy Efficiency Program for Rural Coops
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will provide funding to rural coops and utilities to help boost energy efficiency improvements by commercial and residential customers. The Energy Efficiency and Loan Conservation Program plans to provide up to $250 million to rural coops which will, in turn, lend the money to customers to fund energy efficiency projects. To learn more, click...
FERC Expands SGIA and SGIP to Cover Energy Storage
Posted on Nov 27, 2013 in Regulation & Policy, Technology | Comments Off on FERC Expands SGIA and SGIP to Cover Energy Storage
On Friday, November 22, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) revised its standardized Small Generator Interconnection Agreements (SGIA) and Procedures (SGIP). The changes are intended to make the interconnection of small generators (20 MW or smaller) greener and more efficient. Read the full Sutherland Legal Alert.
Wisconsin Coop Secures Additional CFC Financing
Posted on Nov 25, 2013 in Financing, Grid & Infrastructure, Innovation/Efficiency, Project Development, Reliability, Technology | Comments Off on Wisconsin Coop Secures Additional CFC Financing
Washington Island Electric Cooperative (WIEC), based in Washington Island, Wisconsin, has recently refinanced its debt with another lender to become a 100-percent National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation (CFC) borrower. WIEC, which serves 1,080 members on an island in Lake Michigan accessible only by ferry, has plans for some improvement projects, including the...
USDA Makes $960 Million Investment in Rural Electric Utility System Improvements
Posted on Oct 28, 2013 in Grid & Infrastructure, Innovation/Efficiency, Reliability, Technology | Comments Off on USDA Makes $960 Million Investment in Rural Electric Utility System Improvements
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced funding for rural electric utility system improvements that will benefit residential and business customers in 23 states, including more than $14.3 million to implement smart grid technology and nearly $11 million to improve electric service for Native Americans. The $960 million in USDA loan guarantees will go...
NRECA, Electric Coops, DOE Collaborate on Solar Energy
Posted on Oct 28, 2013 in Climate Change, Environmental, Regulation & Policy, Renewable Energy, Technology | Comments Off on NRECA, Electric Coops, DOE Collaborate on Solar Energy
The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), 15 electric cooperatives in a dozen states and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) are collaborating on a jointly funded project called the SunShot Initiative, which is aimed at bringing down the cost of utility-scale solar projects by controlling the costs of labor, procurement and materials through standardization. NRECA’s...
Coops Working to Make Smart Grid Data More Accessible and Useful
Posted on Oct 25, 2013 in Grid & Infrastructure, Innovation/Efficiency, Technology | Comments Off on Coops Working to Make Smart Grid Data More Accessible and Useful
As more coops and their members adopt smart meters and smart grid technology, the next step is to find ways to use this data to meet members’ needs. A number of coops have hired the Atlanta firm Verdeeco Inc. to help implement methods for coop members to better monitor and manage their energy use. Click here for more on this story.
Industrial Standards Group Rejects Limits on Water Heaters
Posted on Oct 14, 2013 in Environmental, Innovation/Efficiency, Regulation & Policy, Technology | Comments Off on Industrial Standards Group Rejects Limits on Water Heaters
In a victory for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association and electric coops, an industrial standards organization has rejected water heater restrictions that could have cost coop members millions of dollars. The International Code Council voted down water heater limits recommended by the Natural Resources Defense Council at its code hearing in early October. As a result,...
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