Endangered Species Listing May Risk Reliability
Posted on Sep 15, 2014 in Environmental, Grid & Infrastructure, Regulation & Policy, Reliability | Comments Off on Endangered Species Listing May Risk Reliability
Several hundred distribution and generation and transmission coops may be affected if the northern long-eared bat is added to the endangered species list. The House Natural Resources Committee is considering this designation as the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association and others argue that listing the bat will pose a risk to reliability because coops remove bat roosting...
CFC Joins NRECA’s Solar Initiative
Posted on Aug 26, 2014 in Financing, Innovation/Efficiency, Legislative & Politics, Renewable Energy | Comments Off on CFC Joins NRECA’s Solar Initiative
The National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation (CFC) has formally joined the Solar Utility Network Deployment Acceleration (SUNDA) project led by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA). The SUNDA project is supported by a $3.6 million grant to NRECA from the U.S. Department of Energy’s SunShot Initiative and will provide a knowledge base for...
Portion of FERC Order 1000 Challenged by NRECA and Others Upheld in Court
Posted on Aug 22, 2014 in Regulation & Policy, Reliability | Comments Off on Portion of FERC Order 1000 Challenged by NRECA and Others Upheld in Court
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled against an industry group, including National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), which was challenging certain provisions of Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Order 1000. Click here for full story and details on the challenge.
NRECA Argues Cooperatives Should Qualify for FCC Broadband Funds
Posted on Aug 19, 2014 in Grid & Infrastructure, Innovation/Efficiency, Legislative & Politics, Regulation & Policy, Technology | Comments Off on NRECA Argues Cooperatives Should Qualify for FCC Broadband Funds
The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) has provided comments to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Phase II of the national competitive bid process for the Connect America Fund. In those comments, NRECA has argued that electric cooperatives that are already exploring providing broadband service to rural areas should be able to qualify for available...
NRECA-Backed Endangered Species Bill Passed by House
Posted on Aug 4, 2014 in Legislative & Politics | Comments Off on NRECA-Backed Endangered Species Bill Passed by House
The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill entitled the 21st Century Endangered Species Transparency Act requiring more transparency in certain matters of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The bill would require, among other things, the public release of certain information, including the data used to determine the species listed under the ESA and information about ESA lawsuits. ...
NRECA Joins Shippers in Calling on Congress to Act on Rail Reform
Posted on Jul 22, 2014 in Legislative & Politics, Regulation & Policy | Comments Off on NRECA Joins Shippers in Calling on Congress to Act on Rail Reform
The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) is part of a coalition of shippers that renewed a year-long call for Congress to take action to reform the country’s freight rail system. The coalition, which consists of 24 trade organizations, sent a letter to congressional leaders outlining a series of reforms meant to increase competition and lessen regulatory hurdles for...
Coops Poised to Use Solar Power
Posted on Jun 25, 2014 in Renewable Energy | Comments Off on Coops Poised to Use Solar Power
Bob Gibson, vice president of education and communication for the Solar Electric Power Association, spoke recently at the G&T Communicators Summer Conference held at the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) headquarters. Gibson discussed options that utilities, including coops, are pursuing to create new revenue streams as consumers add solar as an option for...
NRECA Reports Coop Renewable Capacity Has Doubled in Past Five Years
Posted on Apr 21, 2014 in Renewable Energy | Comments Off on NRECA Reports Coop Renewable Capacity Has Doubled in Past Five Years
Coops’ renewable energy capacity has increased to 5.9 GW as of early 2014, which is in addition to the 10 GW that coops purchase from federal hydropower facilities. Click here for more data from the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA).
Coop Pension Bill Passed in House
Posted on Mar 25, 2014 in Legislative & Politics | Comments Off on Coop Pension Bill Passed in House
The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the Cooperative and Small Employer Charity Pension Flexibility Act (H.R. 4275). This Act makes permanent a temporary exemption for rural cooperative “multiple-employer” defined benefit plans and similar plans for other not-for-profit organizations from the Pension Protection Act. The Act will next go to the President for enactment. For...
FERC Issues Order on CIP 5 Reliability Standards
Posted on Mar 20, 2014 in Grid & Infrastructure, Regulation & Policy, Reliability | Comments Off on FERC Issues Order on CIP 5 Reliability Standards
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) recently granted requests for clarification of, but denied requests for rehearing of, Order No. 791, which approved version 5 of the North American Electric Reliability Corporation Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) 5 Reliability Standards. The requests were filed by several trade associations, including the National Rural Electric...
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