Government Announces New Funding for Rural Coops
Posted on Feb 18, 2013 in Energy Savings Programs, Environmental, Financing, Grid & Infrastructure, Technology | Comments Off on Government Announces New Funding for Rural Coops
In a recent announcement, John Padalino, USDA Rural Utilities Acting Administrator, stated that rural electric cooperatives and utilities in 12 states will receive loan guarantees to improve generation and transmission facilities and implement smart grid technologies. The statement was made during the annual meeting of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association on behalf of...
New Regulation Under Cybersecurity Executive Order
Posted on Feb 15, 2013 in Grid & Infrastructure, Legislative & Politics, Regulation & Policy, Reliability, Technology | Comments Off on New Regulation Under Cybersecurity Executive Order
President Obama has issued an Executive Order to address the growing cyber threat to the Nation’s “critical infrastructure.” The energy industry should pay attention, both for regulatory compliance purposes and also as a matter of sound business practice, in the face of the increasing security threat posed by cyber attacks. Read the full Sutherland Legal Alert.
Proposed Texas Bill Would Give Customers Grounds to Sue
Posted on Feb 14, 2013 in Energy Savings Programs, Grid & Infrastructure, Innovation/Efficiency, Legislative & Politics, Litigation, Regulation & Policy, Technology | Comments Off on Proposed Texas Bill Would Give Customers Grounds to Sue
In addition to creating a cause of action against utilities for theft and improper use of data, a proposed Texas bill, H.B. 1171, also provides customers with the right to opt out of smart meter programs and the right to have previously installed meters removed. This bill differs from a prior Senate bill in that H.B. 1171 provides customers with this cause of action but does not...
South Carolina Town Receives Land Donation
Posted on Feb 5, 2013 in Innovation/Efficiency, Land Use, Regulation & Policy, Technology | Comments Off on South Carolina Town Receives Land Donation
The town of Bluffton, South Carolina, is offering seven acres of land in its May River Technology Park to attract more private businesses. However, Bluffton did not have to tap into tax revenues to buy this land. It was donated by Palmetto Electric Cooperative and Hargray Communications. In return, these entities will be allowed to forgo state license fees. Bluffton also is...
Maryland PSC Calls for Smart Metering Options
Posted on Jan 10, 2013 in Innovation/Efficiency, Regulation & Policy, Technology | Comments Off on Maryland PSC Calls for Smart Metering Options
The Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) will require Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative (SMECO), among other electricity providers, to provide customers with additional smart metering options. Customers cited health-related concerns about certain smart metering technology and now will have the option of opting out of smart meter installations for an increased price. Click...
FERC Notes Coop Smart Grid Growth
Posted on Jan 8, 2013 in Energy Savings Programs, Environmental, Grid & Infrastructure, Innovation/Efficiency, Rates, Technology | Comments Off on FERC Notes Coop Smart Grid Growth
The use of smart grid technologies by coops is being recognized on a national level. A report issued in December 2012 by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) stated that coops are still national leaders in implementing advanced metering. According to the FERC report, advanced metering use among coops increased from 16.4 percent in 2008 to 24.7 percent in 2010 to 30.9...
New Power Plant Begins Commercial Operation in Arkansas
Posted on Dec 26, 2012 in Environmental, Project Development, Technology | Comments Off on New Power Plant Begins Commercial Operation in Arkansas
The 600-MW John W. Turk Jr. Power Plant, the nation’s first ultra-supercritical, coal-fired facility, began commercial operation this month after four years of construction and numerous legal challenges. The co-owners, including Southwestern Electric Power Company, Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corporation and East Texas Electric Cooperative, herald the plant as a shining example of...
Iowa Coops to Attend Workshop on Preventing Cyber-Attacks
Posted on Dec 14, 2012 in Grid & Infrastructure, Reliability, Technology | Comments Off on Iowa Coops to Attend Workshop on Preventing Cyber-Attacks
The heads of electric cooperatives in Iowa will meet for a three-day workshop and training session at Iowa State University in Ames. The goal of the workshop is to protect the state’s electric coops from cyber-attacks, which are becoming an increasingly important topic of grid reliability. Organizers say the first line of defense is ensuring that the workforce is adequately...
House Democrat Calls for Grid Security Legislation
Posted on Nov 26, 2012 in Grid & Infrastructure, Legislative & Politics, Regulation & Policy, Reliability, Technology | Comments Off on House Democrat Calls for Grid Security Legislation
Massachusetts Representative Ed Markey, a top House Democrat, has called on the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Republican chairman, Michigan Representative Fred Upton, to help corral GOP support and pass an electrical grid security bill the pair co-sponsored. Markey says that physical and cyber threats to power infrastructure were increasing and that the Grid Reliability and...
Dairyland Power Coop Rebuilding Transmission Line
Posted on Nov 14, 2012 in Innovation/Efficiency, Project Development, Reliability, Technology | Comments Off on Dairyland Power Coop Rebuilding Transmission Line
In September, Dairyland Power Cooperative (Dairyland) began a $22.5 million project to rebuild the 65-year-old, 20-mile Q1 transmission line that provides power to La Crosse, Wisconsin, and its surrounding areas. The project includes the addition of steel poles and a new conductor and foundations. Dairyland officials said that when the project is completed, it will eliminate...
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