Shane Larson Elected to CFC Board
Rock Energy CEO Shane Larson was elected to a three-year term on the National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation (CFC) Board of Directors. Larson won the seat to represent District 5 at the NRECA Regions 5 & 6 meeting recently in Minneapolis.
Larson has served as CEO of Rock Energy Cooperative since August 2000. Prior to that he was general manager of Leavenworth-Jefferson Electric Cooperative in McLouth, Kansas.
Hallgren Elected to Federated Rural Electric Insurance Exchange Board
Brian Hallgren, chairman of the Taylor Electric Cooperative board of directors, has been elected to represent Region 5 on the Federated Rural Electric Insurance Exchange Board.
Hallgren has served on the Taylor Electric Board since 2016.
Hallgren is an entrepreneur and a licensed insurance agent. He officially takes his position on the board in June.
Magazine Earns National Award for Historical Feature
The Wisconsin Energy Cooperative News (WECN) took home an Award of Excellence in the Best Historical Feature category of the 2021 Willies Awards. The honor for excellence in co-op journalism was bestowed recently at the NRECA Statewide Editors Association annual institute in Austin, Texas.
The award-winning story was WECN Associate Editor Mary Erickson’s piece, titled “Connections to the Past: Historic Bridges Cross Co-op Country,” which was featured in the September 2020 edition of the magazine.
Dairyland Welcomes Third Partner in Nemadji Trail Project
Basin Electric has joined Dairyland Power Cooperative and ALLETE’s Minnesota Power as an investor and owner of the Nemadji Trail Energy Center (NTEC). ALLETE is selling a portion of its 50 percent ownership stake to Basin under its subsidiary, Nemadji River Generation, LLC.
Under the deal, Basin will pay $20 million to own 30 percent of the proposed combined-cycle, 600-megawatt natural gas power plant in Superior and ALLETE will own 20 percent. Dairyland will still own 50 percent and says its commitment to the renewable enabling project is unchanged. Minnesota Power will remain the constructor and operator of the facility.
PSC Increases Funds for Energy Innovation Grants
The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC) is increasing the budget for the state’s Energy Innovation Grant Program from $7 million to $10 million.
The Energy Innovation Grants provide funding for energy projects that reduce energy consumption, increase clean energy and transportation technologies, bolster preparedness and resiliency in the energy system, and incorporate comprehensive energy planning.