Eversheds Sutherland Coop Law Blog
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Arkansas Cooperatives Invest in Broadband Expansion

Ozarks Electric Cooperative and Craighead Electric Cooperative, along with several other Arkansas electric cooperatives, are forming a new wholesale broadband provider, Diamond State Networks. The organization will provide broadband access to over 1.25 million residents of rural Arkansas with over 50,000 miles of fiber lines.
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North Dakota Approves Loan for Minnkota Power Cooperative’s Project Tundra

On Monday, May 23, the North Dakota Industrial Commission approved loans and grants worth more than $115 million for three projects aiming to use emerging technologies to store carbon dioxide underground. Among such loans and grants is a $100 million low-interest loan for Project Tundra, Minnkota Power Cooperative’s carbon capture project.
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Tribal Government Sells Solar Power to Alaska Village Electric Cooperative, Reducing Diesel Fuel Demand

Two Alaska communities north of the Arctic Circle are benefiting from a new solar installation owned by a local tribal government that is selling the power back to the Alaska Village Electric Cooperative. This arrangement is expected to reduce demand for diesel fuel by about 25,000 gallons a year in a region that has some of the highest energy costs in the state.
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Nemadji Trail Energy Center Clears Legal Hurdles

Following legal challenges from several interest groups, the Nemadji Trail Energy Center, a proposed $700 million combined-cycle natural gas energy plant in Wisconsin, was determined to be in compliance with environmental and construction requirements. The plant will be owned and operated by Dairyland Power Cooperative, among others.
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Missouri Coop Explores Small Modular Reactor Nuclear Technology

Associated Electric Cooperative and NuScale Power are evaluating implementing NuScale’s small modular reactor (SMR) power plants. The SMR nuclear technology can supply energy for electrical generation, district heating, desalination, commercial-scale hydrogen production and other process heat applications.
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Jemez Mountain Electric Cooperative Partners with Navajo Tribal Utility Authority

Jemez Mountain Electric Cooperative and the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority are partnering to bring electricity to more than 200 Navajo families. The Navajo Nation has allocated $44 million in CARES Act funds to provide power line extensions. So far, 24 projects have been completed, connecting 737 families.
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HomeWorks Tri-County Electric Cooperative Donates $15,000 to Aid Ukraine

HomeWorks Tri-County Electric Cooperative in Portland, Michigan has donated $15,000 to the nonprofit Cooperative Development Foundation which will help support COOP Ukraine, an organization that is providing housing and meals for displaced Ukrainians
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Upshur County Electric Cooperative Unveils New Solar Farm

Upshur County Electric Cooperative and Hecate Energy recently announced the completion of their 3-megawatt solar farm with over 8,000 panels in Upshur County, Texas. The solar farm is Hecate’s second largest in Texas, at about 30 acres.
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Permitting Action Plan Fails to Address Electric Infrastructure Needs, NRCEA Says

Electric cooperatives have historically encouraged policymakers to support solutions that modernize the National Environmental Policy Act and help to ameliorate the lack of federal coordination, inconsistent processes, and protracted litigation that threatens electric reliability. NRCEA believes President Biden’s “permitting action plan” fails to deliver the necessary reforms needed to reach these goals.
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Coop Lineworkers Volunteering to Help Electrify Guatemalan Village

A team of 16 lineworker volunteers from electric cooperatives in Oklahoma and Colorado, including Cimarron Electric Cooperative, Northeast Oklahoma Electric Cooperative, and Holy Cross Energy, will travel to Guatemala in this summer with NRECA International to help electrify a small mountain village of about 250 people.
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Lewis County Rural Electric Cooperative Receives $13.4 Million USDA Loan

Lewis County Electric Cooperative in Lewiston, Missouri has received a $13.4 million loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The loan will go towards upgrading transmission lines and funding smart grid upgrades.
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Louisiana Cooperatives Form Power-Buying Coalition to Create Cost Savings

Five electric cooperatives in Louisiana have joined together to form 1803 Electric Cooperative to pool their power supply needs. By collectively negotiating for power supply, the cooperatives expect to provide a 10 to 15 percent rate decrease starting in 2025.
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Great River Energy Completes Sale of Coal Creek Station

Rainbow Energy Center, LLC has purchased Coal Creek Station, a coal-fired power plant, from Great River Energy. The sale will preserve jobs at the plant, and the new ownership has stated its commitment to carbon capture objectives.
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Great Lakes Energy Cooperative Receives $27 Million as Part of USDA Clean Energy Grant

Great Lakes Energy Cooperative (Great Lakes) is the largest recipient of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) funds to support clean energy in Michigan. The USDA funds will be distributed to eight different projects in the state, many of which are small scale solar projects that will help small businesses. Great Lakes will receive $27 million to expand and remodel its headquarters and warehouse in rural Michigan.
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