Cooperative Law and Energy Blog

The renewable energy industry has made great strides over the past few years. Growth has been in the double digits, with the benefits flowing to developers, investors, manufacturers, and the public.  The availability of capital for projects has been accompanied by rapid decreases in costs for wind and solar technologies.  The result?  Renewable energy is making strides toward being an affordable alternative to traditional energy sources.  Although nuclear, coal and gas generation still form the bedrock of American energy supply, in light of the push by regulators and the public to require use of renewable energy, reducing the cost of renewable energy sources will not only benefit the climate, but could minimize hikes in energy prices resulting from the imposition of renewable requirements.     Continue reading →

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The Department of Energy will honor one electric cooperative that has exhibited leadership in the production of wind power this year.  It is now accepting nominations for the Wind Cooperative of the Year Award.

Eligibility:
All cooperatives that are members of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association are eligible for nomination and award.  There is no cost for nomination.

Nomination and Award:
To nominate a cooperative for the award, click here.  Entries will be judged in four areas:

• Corporate leadership
• Innovative marketing
• Benefits to customers
• Project creativity

For more information, click here.
Past award recipients are listed here.

Good luck to all nominees!

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Broadband over power line (BPL) technology is designed to use existing power lines to provide broadband Internet access to businesses and consumers.  In the early 2000s BPL was promoted by providers as a viable alternative to DSL and cable broadband offerings, especially in rural areas where there was no other means of broadband access.  Although FCC put BPL on the fast track, the amateur radio community was strongly opposed to BPL on the basis that BPL equipment would interfere with the amateur radio wave bands.  The FCC rules have been the subject of petitions and court proceedings, and nine years after the FCC initiated the rulemaking process, the process still continues.  Continue reading →

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Many electric cooperatives are currently in the process of considering or moving forward with advanced metering infrastructure projects.  AMI projects are complex and require consideration not only of purchase and installation issues, but also of maintenance, warranties, and long-term performance requirements.  Also, because key components of the equipment and software required often come from different vendors, sophisticated project management is required to coordinate and ensure completion of required integration and interfaces.  To ensure that all parties’ objectives are met, a thorough and balanced AMI agreement should be developed that documents project requirements and expectations. Continue reading →

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In the context of reviewing the viability of landowners’ nuisance claims against a Georgia electric cooperative, the Supreme Court of Georgia in Daniel v. Amicalola EMC recently rejected the landowners’ constitutional challenge to the one-year statute of limitations for rights of action resulting from an electric cooperative’s acquisition of an easement or use of the land of others.   The court found a rational basis for the statue arising from the origin and nature of electric cooperatives.     Continue reading →

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