Cloverland Co-op Continues Push Against Rising U.P. Electric Bills
Cloverland Electric Co-op is continuing its battle – including asking its members to write state, regional and national officials - to keep the monthly electric bills of nearly all U.P. residents from going up drastically by Dec. 1. The problem started when Marquette’s Presque Isle Power Plant (PIPP) lost its main customer, the Cliffs mining [...]
New NRECA Solar Website
A new website is available to help communicate how electric co-ops are using renewable resources, and specifically solar energy. Take a look, and feel free to use its information to talk with co-op staff, members, elected officials, boards, and others interested parties about how the cooperatives are already responding to consumer needs in an era of [...]
What Electric Co-ops Need to Know About Charging PEVs
Because of lower fuel costs, as well as reduced maintenance and environmental impacts when compared to standard cars, plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) sales are growing rapidly, reports the Cooperative Research Network (CRN). From December 2010 through September 2014, Americans bought over 255,000 PEVs. What does this mean for electric co-ops, and how will it affect [...]
DOE Funds Battery Support Of Solar
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has flagged $15 million for bolstering distributed, onsite solar energy projects that integrate energy storage. As reported in the National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corp. (CFC) newsletter, eligible projects include those that will help advance solar photovoltaic technology and energy storage through: Advanced operation in conjunction with smart loads [...]
Safety Supervisors Complete Second Training Phase
Pam Tomkins Electric co-op safety supervisors recently completed part two of a six-part, three-year training series offered by the Michigan Electric Cooperative Association (MECA). Sixty participants from Alger Delta, Cherryland, Cloverland, Great Lakes Energy, HomeWorks Tri-County, Ontonagon and Thumb Electric co-ops are participating, which requires a commitment to the full three-year training period. [...]
Great Lakes Energy Returns $7.1 In Capital Credits This Year
A capital credit retirement package worth over $7.1 million was approved by Great Lakes Energy’s Board of Directors in September. This includes $1 million in capital credits earned by members in 2013, and over $6.1 million from 1989. Co-op members receiving the refunds will see a credit on their December electric bill, and amounts over [...]