Eversheds Sutherland Coop Law Blog
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Electric Cooperatives Create Electric Vehicle Charging Network

A coalition of 29 electric cooperatives has created an electric vehicle charging network across Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois and Iowa designed to encourage coop consumer-members to drive electric vehicles (EVs). The coalition invested over $100,000 in more than 40 Level 2 and Level 3 chargers provided by ZEF Energy Inc. to form the CHARGE EV network.
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Tatanka Ridge Wind Farm Achieved Commercial Operation; Dairyland Power Cooperative the Offtaker

Tatanka Ridge Wind Farm, a 56-wind turbine facility located in Deuel County, South Dakota, achieved commercial operation on January 5, 2021. Dairyland Power Cooperative has a power purchase agreement with Tatanka Ridge Wind, LLC, for 51.6 MW of renewable energy. Dairyland’s portion of Tatanka Ridge’s output will deliver enough renewable energy to power approximately 16,000 homes.
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Northeastern REMC to Utilize Battery Storage System

In December, Northeastern REMC contracted with battery maker FlexGen for a total of 31 MW of lithium iron phosphate batteries to be fully operational by 2023. The 109-megawatt-hour battery energy storage system, one of the largest to be owned and operated by an electric coop, is expected to save coop members $35 million over the next two decades.
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York Electric Cooperative and Comporium Latest in Telco Electric Broadband Partnership

York Electric Cooperative and Comporium plan to make gigabit fiber available to approximately 5,000 members in western York County and parts of Cherokee County, South Carolina. Comporium will be the service provider and will also offer streaming video, voice, home automation and security services.
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Maryland Electric Cooperative Awards $30 Million Energy Efficiency Contract

Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative awarded global consulting and digital services provider ICF with a three-year, $30 million contract to implement its residential and commercial energy portfolios. Services are to include marketing, customer participation, and program management as well as energy efficiency pilot programs in schools.
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NRECA to Press Congress to Approve Repricing of RUS Loans

The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) is planning to urge Congress and the incoming Biden administration to support legislation to reprice Rural Utilities Service (RUS) loans at current low interest rates. The proposed legislation would allow coops to request rate adjustments on existing RUS loans within 180 days of the bill’s enactment and waive any prepayment penalties normally associated with RUS refinancing.
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Microgrid Being Planned Near Aspen, Colorado

Electric cooperative Holy Cross Energy, the Roaring Fork Transportation Authority, and Pitkin County representatives are conducting a feasibility study for a local, renewable energy microgrid. The proposed microgrid would connect the Aspen-Pitkin County Airport with neighboring public facilities and would be incorporated into the existing infrastructure of Holy Cross Energy.
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Electric Cooperatives Form New Broadband Association

Five electric cooperatives in Virginia and Maryland have formed a broadband cooperative association aimed at encouraging the expansion of high-speed internet service in underserved rural areas. The new Virginia, Maryland & Delaware Association of Broadband Cooperatives (VMDABC) includes Millboro-based BARC Electric Cooperative and its BARC Connects subsidiary, Arrington-based Central Virginia Electric Cooperative and its Firefly Fiber Broadband subsidiary, Waverly-based Prince George Electric Cooperative and its Ruralband subsidiary, Chase City-based Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative and...
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Electric Coops Create New Electric Vehicle Charging Network

A group of 29 electric cooperatives, including Freeborn-Mower Cooperative Services, has created a regional electric vehicle charging network across Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa and Minnesota. The network, named CHARGE EV LLC, will include over 30 Level 2 and Level 3 charging stations. Level 3 supercharging stations allow vehicles to be fully charged in less than an hour.
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Year-End Spending Package Excludes Key COVID Relief Provision

The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association expressed dismay at Congress failing to include a waiver of the pre-payment penalty for coops refinancing RUS debt in its year-end spending package. Despite this, the spending package does contain several key energy provision supported by electric coops.
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New Hampshire Electric Cooperative Expands Broadband Access

New Hampshire Electric Cooperative expanded broadband service to nearly 900 members in December. The expansion was supported by a $6.7 million grant from the state’s Connecting New Hampshire Emergency Broadband Program.
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Flathead Electric Cooperative Assists in Bird Conservation Efforts

Flathead Electric Cooperative assisted in the installation of an osprey nest adjacent to its Bigfork Dam. The nest will serve to keep the area’s osprey population healthy and strong.
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EKPC Announces First Sustainability Plan

Eastern Kentucky Power Cooperative (EKPC) announced its first sustainability plan on Wednesday. The plan includes targets for increasing use of renewable energy and reducing carbon emissions in the coming decades.
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NRECA, Others, Warn FERC on Need for New NERC Standards

The American Public Power Association and the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), amongst others, are warning the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) against directing the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) to develop new standards or requirements in an effort to mitigate security risks tied to equipment and services.
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