MECA Testifies On Renewable Energy Standards
As the Legislature and Gov. Rick Snyder work to revamp Michigan’s 2008 energy law, a large chunk of the debate is about what percent of its energy supply should come from renewable sources. The current renewable portfolio standard (RPS) requires that electric utilities reach 10 percent by 2015. In May, various stakeholders gave voice to [...]
Wolverine Receives Air Permit for Alpine Power Plant
Wolverine Power Cooperative has received final approval from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) for its Alpine Power Plant air quality permit. This allows Wolverine to start constructing the new plant in Elmira Township, near Gaylord, said Ken Bradstreet, project spokesman. Wolverine received a draft air quality permit in April 2015, which was [...]
ITC Energizes Thumb ‘Loop’ For 5,000 MW of Wind Energy
ITC Transmission, a subsidiary of ITC Holdings Corp., has announced that its “Thumb Loop” high-voltage transmission project is complete. ITC invested about $510 million to build the 345,000-volt (345 kV) line, which is the backbone of a system designed to meet the maximum wind energy potential of the Thumb area. It will also contribute to regional [...]
Co-ops Support WOTUS Withdrawal Legislation
National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) CEO Jo Ann Emerson spoke recently in support of the Regulatory Integrity Protection Act of 2015 (H.R. 1732), which would require the EPA and Corps of Engineers to withdraw the proposed Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule and re-propose a new rule after consulting with stakeholders, including electric co-ops. [...]
Co-ops Help Review Clean Power Plan For Existing Plants
Representatives from 10 electric co-ops met with the EPA and Small Business Administration (SBA) for a Small Business Advocacy Review (SBAR) panel regarding the proposed plan for existing power plants that the EPA is developing as part of the Clean Power Plan (CPP). Co-ops reps from Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Indiana, Arizona, Illinois, Iowa, Tennessee, Florida [...]
Midwest Launches New Fiber Broadband Marketing Tools, Including Video
Midwest Connections, an unregulated service of Midwest Energy Cooperative, has launched a rural broadband revolution in southwest Michigan, and is implementing an aggressive construction and activation plan for 2015 and beyond to light up the new fiber internet service, says communications director, Patty Nowlin. Two new communications initiatives were recently introduced to promote the [...]