Eversheds Sutherland Coop Law Blog
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South Carolina Electric Cooperatives Partner with Optiwatt to Align Electric Vehicle Charging with Grid Demand

South Carolina Electric Cooperatives, including York Electric Cooperative have initiated a pilot program with Optiwatt, an app that assists electric vehicle owners in managing their charging to reduce costs. The program asks electric vehicle owners to offset charging during peak times and provides the cooperatives with data on the charging habits of its members and how charging effects equipment used to distribute power. Participants will receive a $150 bill credit.
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North Dakota Cooperative Proposes Expansion of Gas-Fired Generation Station

Basin Electric Power Cooperative is proposing to add two 235 megawatt simple-cycle combustion turbines and six 18.8 megawatt reciprocal internal combustion engines to its gas-fired Pioneer Generation Station in McKenzie County, North Dakota to address increased demand from the rapid increase in development of computer server farm facilities that host data centers and cyroptocurrency mining. The North Dakota Public Service Commission will hold a public hearing on the expansion on January 5, 2022.
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STACK Infrastructure Breaks Ground on Data Center to be Supplied by Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative

STACK Infrastructure began building their newest hyperscale campus in Prince William County, Virginia targeted for Q1 2024. The 40-acre site will deliver 100 megawatts of scalable renewable capacity supplied by Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative.
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Escambia County Partners with Escambia River Electric Cooperative to Bring High Speed Fiber Internet to Thousands

Escambia County agreed to partner with Escambia River Electric Cooperative to bring high speed fiber internet to over four thousand homes and businesses in in rural northern Escambia County. Escambia County will provide $6 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds for the project.
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New Hampshire Electric Cooperative’s New President Discusses Her Plans for Addressing High Energy Bills and Role in Diversifying the Energy Field

New Hampshire Electric Cooperative’s incoming president Alyssa Clemson Roberts spoke with the New Hampshire Bulletin about consumer concern for high energy bills and the cooperative’s plan to reduce market risk, as well as the importance of mentorship for diversifying the energy field from a male-dominant space.
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Beartooth Electric Cooperative Sued for Alleged Tree Trimming Company Negligence

A civil suit has been filed against Beartooth Electric Cooperative in connection with a November 2021 fire that broke out after a tree branch hit a power line in the electric cooperative’s right of way.
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CORE Electric Cooperative Forms Partnership to Plant Trees in Colorado

In a first of its kind venture, CORE Electric Cooperative (CORE) has partnered with FarmBox Foods to plant trees in a Vertical Hydroponic Farm inside an upcycled shipping container to rehabilitate forests along Colorado’s Front Range. CORE plans on planting 15,000 blue spruces and ponderosa pines in the first three years of the project.
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The North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives Opens New Training Center

The North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives’ (NDAREC) new Lineworker Training Center, which provides students the opportunity to practice skills required for the construction and maintenance of electrical infrastructure, will be a boon to the electric cooperative workforce.
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Southeast Energy Exchange Market Unveils New Energy Trading Market

The Southeast Energy Exchange Market (SEEM) opened up operation this week, allowing for first of their kind market transactions in power for the region. SEEM will cover 23 entities in 12 states, with more than 180,000 megawatts, including Associated Electric Cooperative, Seminole Electric Cooperative, Oglethorpe Power Corporation, and North Carolina Electric Membership Corporation.
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National Rural Electric Cooperative Association Issues Statement on Election

National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s Chief Executive Officer has issued a statement following the midterm elections emphasizing the importance of policymakers in setting policies to further the goals of electric cooperatives.
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Plumas Sierra Rural Electric Cooperative Receives Federal Grant

Plumas Sierra Rural Electric Cooperative has received a $4.7 million Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Public Assistance Grant to repair or replace equipment damaged in wildfires. The work is expected to be completed in February 2023.
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Electric Cooperatives Receive $15 Million Award to Enhance Security Capabilities

The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, which represents nearly 900 local electric cooperatives in the U.S., has been awarded $15 million by the U.S. Department of Energy in an effort to help expand cybersecurity capabilities.
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Two Illinois Electric Cooperatives to Receive $36 Million in Federal Broadband Funding

Hamilton County Telephone Co-Op and Shelby Electric Cooperative Inc. are the recipients of more than $36 million in federal funding under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to expand high-speed internet in their service territories.
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National Rural Electric Cooperative Association International Coordinates Electrification Project in Guatemala

Thirty-one volunteer lineworkers from Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Colorado traveled to Guatemala with National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) International to electrify two villages in Guatemala. The project successfully brought electricity to the homes, schools, and churches of around 550 people.
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