Colorado Electric Cooperative Nears 90% Clean Energy Target with New Projects
Posted on Apr 18, 2024
Holy Cross Energy (HCE), a Colorado electric cooperative, is progressing toward its goal of achieving over 90% clean energy by 2025 and ultimately reaching 100% clean energy by 2030. Recent additions, like the Bronco Plains II Energy Center wind facility and Hunter Solar project, are bringing HCE closer to these targets, with expected cost savings of over $40 million for members over the next decade. Through partnerships and local projects such as High Mesa and Mamm Creek Solar Plus Storage, HCE demonstrates its dedication to delivering reliable and affordable electric service while...
Continue Reading
DOE FINALIZES NEW STANDARD FOR DISTRIBUTION TRANSFORMERS
Posted on Apr 10, 2024
The Department of Energy has finalized new energy efficiency standards for distribution transformers, giving manufacturers more time for compliance to help keep the focus on increased output to meet electric cooperatives’ demand for transformers.
Continue Reading
Basin Electric’s Dry Fork Station Receives DOE Funding for Carbon Capture Study
Posted on Apr 5, 2024
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations awarded $4.6 million in funding to Membrane Technology Research and Carbon Capture to develop a design study for an integrated carbon capture and storage project at Basin Electric Power Cooperative’s Dry Fork Station in Wyoming. The project aims to capture, compress and store onsite 3 million tons of CO2 per year, achieving at least a 90% carbon capture rate.
Continue Reading
Flathead Cooperative plans Solar Project with Whitefish
Posted on Apr 3, 2024
Flathead Electric Cooperative will begin construction on its third community solar project, developed in partnership with Whitefish City this summer. The cooperative received a grant of near $500,000 from the Department of Agriculture to help fund the project.
Continue Reading
U.S. Department of Energy Commits $1.5 Billion to Restart Nuclear Power Plant in Michigan
Posted on Mar 28, 2024
The U.S. Department of Energy has announced a $1.5 billion “conditional commitment” to support the reopening of the Palisades nuclear power plant near South Haven, Michigan, after it shut down in May 2022. The loan will be provided to owner Holtec to restart the plant, which would be the first time a closed nuclear reactor is brought back online in U.S. history. The project is expected to create 1,000 jobs during the restart phase and support 600 permanent jobs once operational, providing clean power for 800,000 homes.
Continue Reading
South Central Power Ventures into Internet Business to Bridge Rural Connectivity Gap
Posted on Mar 14, 2024
South Central Power, an electric cooperative, is using a $100 million state grant to launch connectSCP, aiming to provide internet to underserved areas across 24 counties in southern, central, and eastern Ohio. This initiative, starting with 2,500 homes in areas like New Market and Somerton, aligns with South Central’s history of community service dating back to the 1930s. The program reflects a broader effort to bridge the digital divide in rural communities.
Continue Reading
Biden-Harris Administration Invests $2.3B in Energy Projects Aimed at Rural Communities
Posted on Mar 8, 2024
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced clean energy investments in 23 states to bolster rural America’s power grid and reduce pollution. Secretary Tom Vilsack revealed $139 million in awards for the Powering Affordable Clean Energy (PACE) program and $2.2 billion for 39 projects, aiming to provide reliable electricity to over 2 million rural residents. These initiatives align with Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, exemplified by projects such as expanding battery storage in Arizona and enhancing solar energy in Nebraska and Hawaii.
Continue Reading
Co-op Consortium Selected for $45M in DOE Funding for Rural Microgrids
Posted on Feb 28, 2024
DOE announced Feb. 27 that it will negotiate $45.2 million in funding for seven electrical cooperatives under the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations’ Energy Improvements in Rural or Remote Areas Program in order to build a range of microgrids to improve grid resiliency and reliability for remote and economically challenged communities across the country.
Continue Reading
San Miguel Power Association Assessing Microgrids to Increase Resilience
Posted on Feb 22, 2024
San Miguel Power Association (SMPA) is developing community-scale microgrids for remote Colorado towns in the San Juan Mountains, aiming to enhance resilience against blizzards and avalanches. Last winter, Silverton faced a severe “snowpocalypse” leaving residents without electricity until SMPA lineworkers managed a quick restoration, prompting the co-op to pursue microgrids for reliable, community-wide emergency power backup. With grants secured and plans in progress, these microgrids promise warmth, device charging, and improved resilience for towns like Ophir, Rico, and...
Continue Reading
John C. Lee Jr. Appointed as President and CEO of Old Dominion Electric Cooperative
Posted on Feb 15, 2024
John C. Lee Jr. has been appointed as the new president and CEO of Old Dominion Electric Cooperative (ODEC) following a nationwide search. Lee, who had been serving as ODEC’s interim president and CEO since September 2023, previously held CEO positions at Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative and EMPOWER Broadband. ODEC’s board of directors expressed confidence in Lee’s leadership to address challenges and maintain the cooperative’s legacy of service to its members, serving 1.5 million consumers in Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware.
Continue Reading
Sunflower Electric Power Corporation to Build Kansas’s Largest Commercial Solar Facility
Posted on Feb 8, 2024
Sunflower Electric Power Corporation is collaborating on a 150-megawatt solar energy project near its Dodge City facility, slated for operation in the first half of 2026. This project, named the Boot Hill Solar Project, will be Sunflower’s largest solar facility, providing on-peak renewable energy to its members in western Kansas. The project is supported by Victory Electric Cooperative Assn., Inc., and will be constructed in collaboration with Alluvial Power, generating approximately 400,000 megawatt hours annually.
Continue Reading
Dairyland to Construct New Long-Range Transmission
Posted on Feb 6, 2024
Dairyland Power Cooperative announced plans to build a 354 kV transmission line from Blair to Alma. The work is part of a 150-mile long-range transmission project in southern Minnesota.
Continue Reading
Alabama Cooperatives Receive Grants to Build Broadband
Posted on Feb 6, 2024
The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs will administer $188 million in grants to expand high-speed internet in the state. Beneficiaries include Central Alabama Electric Cooperative, Cullman Electric Cooperative, Joe Wheeler Electric Membership Corp., and Tombigbee Electric Cooperative.
Continue Reading
Flathead Electric Cooperative Concerned Over Removal of Dams
Posted on Feb 1, 2024
Officials from Flathead Electric Cooperative, the second largest electricity provider in Montana, warn of an energy crisis if the Biden administration proceeds with plans to remove four dams on the lower Snake River. The co-op contends that this could increase electricity rates, as the dams contribute around 1,004 megawatts each year to the region. The proposal to remove the dams is part of negotiations addressing tribal treaty rights to a viable salmon fishery, but local officials and lawmakers express concerns about the economic impact and transparency of the plan.
Continue Reading
Subscribe
