Eversheds Sutherland Coop Law Blog
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Missouri Coop Suffers Tornado Damage

Black River Electric Cooperatives buildings and trucks suffered severe damage after a tornado swept through southeast Missouri on October 24th. Despite the damage, the coop, with the help of eight other Missouri coop crews, restored power to a majority of members by the evening of the 25th.
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NRECA to Receive $5 Million towards Cybersecurity

The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded NRECA with a $5 million grant to continue developing and deploying sophisticated cybersecurity tools and tactics. The grant is a party of the administrations’ 100-day plan to secure the U.S. energy grid.
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Colorado Solar Project to Support Electric Coop

Holy Cross Energy, a Colorado electric cooperative, will purchase energy generated from the Pitkin Solar Project, a 5-MW installation completed by Primenergy Solar. The coop sees the completion of the project as a significant step in their journey to 100% clean energy for their members.
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Minnesota Cooperatives Win at Minnesota Public Utilities Commission

On October 5, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (MPUC) permitted Conexus Energy to replace distribution line located underneath tracks owned by BNSF Railway for only “reasonable and necessary” traffic and flagging expenses, rejecting BNSF’s 52 requirements and request for hearing. The ruling was the first test of a railway crossing law by an electric coop before the MPUC after the Minnesota Rural Electric Association fought to curtail railroads’ costly impediments to right-of-way work.
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GE Research, Prolec GE and Cooperative Energy Partner to Install the World’s First Flexible Power Transformer

GE Research and Prolec GE are partnering with Cooperative Energy to install the world’s first flexible power transformer, designed to be a one-size-fits-all solution to transformer outages and to provide energy providers with more opportunities to leverage renewable energy sources. The flexible transformer is a potential solution to help with the country’s aging electricity grid. Due to a growing number of severe weather events that have the potential of damaging power systems, the flexible transformer provides a uniform solution that can cut down on construction wait times by functioning as...
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Wolverine Expands Its Renewable Energy Portfolio

Wolverine Power Cooperative (Wolverine) has signed a power purchase agreement for a 150 MW solar farm in Michigan set to be operational spring of 2023, further contributing to its existing portfolio of 210 MW of wind and solar.
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FERC Deadlock Leads to Approval of Southeastern Regional Energy Market Platform

The Southeast Energy Exchange Market (SEEM) received clearance from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for their proposed trading platform after a tie vote to approve it. SEEM is a wholesale power market that will facilitate bilateral energy trading at much faster rates than previously available, enabling almost 20 entities across 11 states to deliver an estimated $40 to $50 million in annual savings to customers and grid operators.
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Florida Cooperative Assists in Animal Sanctuary Improvements

Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative (WREC) is teaming up with the nonprofit group Historic Monkey Island to improve living conditions at a community primate sanctuary. WREC will provide manpower and equipment to install climate control systems, a new playground and additional protective barriers.
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Vermont Electric Cooperative Launches Residential Battery Storage Incentive Program

Vermont Electric Cooperative announced the public launch of a home battery storage incentive program designed to save the coop on power supply costs and support member resiliency.
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Electric Cooperatives to Help Power Ford’s Electric Vehicle Production

Two Tennessee electric coops, Southwest Tennessee Electric Membership Corp. and Chickasaw Electric Cooperative, and the Tennessee Valley Authority will help build, sustain and produce Ford Motor Company’s new vehicle production plant. Up to half of the vehicles produced by Ford will be powered by electricity by the end of this decade.
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Diageo Partners with Inter-County Energy and EKPC to Open Carbon Neutral Distillery

By partnering with Inter-County Energy and East Kentucky Power Cooperative (EKPC), global beverage leader Diageo has opened its first carbon neutral distillery in Lebanon, Kentucky.
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Basin Electric to Purchase Interest in NTEC

ALLETE, Inc. announced that it is selling a portion of its ownership stake in the planned Nemadji Trail Energy Center (NTEC) to Basin Electric Power Cooperative. NTEC is a proposed combined-cycle, natural gas power plant to be built in Superior, Wisconsin, and is expected to be capable of delivering approximately 600 MW.
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NRECA Selected for DOE Funds

The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) was one of several groups chosen by the United States Department of Energy (DOE) for funds to increase engagement in carbon management and promote energy storage. The funds are being made available through cooperative agreements and are managed by the National Energy Technology Laboratory. NRECA could gain up to $100,000 per year for five years, along with an additional $25,000 per year for five years in non-DOE funding, for work on its Outreach for Advanced Storage Integration and Support.
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Coops Receive Aid to Support Wildfire Repairs

Lane Electric Cooperative and Consumers Power Inc., two electrical coops serving customers in Oregon, will receive a combined $21 million to help cover the cost of repairs to electric transmission and distribution infrastructure damaged by wildfires in September 2020.
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