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 the RPS subject before the House Energy Policy Committee, [...]
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 followed by a 30-day public comment period, including a [...]
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 system reliability and facilitate wholesale market competition. "Conceiving and [...]
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. “Electric cooperatives maintain over 2.5 million miles of distribution [...]
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 and Wisconsin participated. “While we appreciate the EPA convening [...]
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 service and tell the story. TeamFiber.com launched in March. [...]
Rich Grzyb (pictured above), a journeyman lineworker/meter technician for Alger Delta Cooperative Electric Association, has retired after many years of dedicated service. Grzyb began his career on April 3, 1972, and retired on April 3, 2015, capping his tenure with Alger Delta at exactly 43 years. A full-time, on-call lineman until November 2003, he was then promoted to journeyman lineworker/meter technician. During his years [...]
Presque Isle Electric & Gas Co-op members continue to assist area community organizations and individuals through the voluntary “round up” of their electric and natural gas billings. Member contributions to the Communities First Fund provide resources for grants and scholarships for use in their local communities within the PIE&G service area. At their recent meeting, the Fund board awarded 16 scholarships of $1,000 each [...]
At the Michigan Electric Cooperative Association’s annual meeting, March 31, in Grand Rapids, member co-ops approved revisions to the organization’s bylaws, including a change that reduces the number of people on the board’s executive committee from five to three. The bylaws were changed to modernize and simplify MECA’s corporate structure, provide flexibility in managing its affairs, and better reflect how the Association functions today. [...]
At its annual membership meeting on April 1, Wolverine Power Cooperative CEO Eric Baker reported that the co-op ended 2014 with a lot of excitement and optimism over successful projects and upcoming plans. “We set a course forward for the next decade and resolved some long-term issues,” he said. Wolverine’s 2014 actually started out with two major disappointments - cancellation of the Rogers City [...]
