More than 750 rural electric systems offer green power as of January 2007. (Source: National Rural Electric Cooperative Association)
 
ANDALUSIA, ALA. — PowerSouth Energy Cooperative is one of the founding members of the newly formed National Renewables Cooperative Organization (NRCO).

“The organization provides PowerSouth and other electric co-ops a pathway to aggregate our needs to buy green power and build renewable energy projects to fulfill those needs where it makes the most economic sense,” said Damon Morgan, PowerSouth Vice President of Power Supply.

NRCO is a nationwide organization of electric cooperatives partnering to develop new renewable energy projects. It is being created to help cooperatives across the nation participate in renewable energy projects that might not otherwise be feasible for individual cooperatives because of development risk, location, size and cost. In addition, NRCO will allow those participants subject to renewable portfolio standards (RPS) to fulfill those requirements. The standards, which require that utilities produce a certain percentage of their electricity from renewable resources, are currently in place in more than half the states in the nation. A federal RPS could be imposed in the near future.

The organization has received as many as 24 applications for membership that serves more than 23 million members in 36 states, according to Gary Smith, PowerSouth President and CEO.

“NRCO allows PowerSouth and other cooperatives like us to pool our resources and efforts into a single national program for renewable energy options now and in the future,” Smith said. “It also provides a means for PowerSouth to acquire renewable energy credits since we are located in a region with limited opportunities for development of wind, solar or other green power.” 

With the focus entirely on new projects, members’ existing renewable generation resources will be excluded from the arrangement.

NRCO’s annual budget will be nearly $1 million. The organization requires a commitment of $100,000 for the first year of the program from a minimum of 10 members. The structures and rules for NRCO are still being developed.

In 2007, electric co-ops across the United States received 11 percent of their power from renewable sources, as compared to 9 percent for the nation’s entire electric utility sector, according to the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA). NRECA says nationwide, co-ops own 450 MW in renewable energy generation and have purchased contracts for 700 MW. More than 750 rural electric systems offer green power, including PowerSouth through its Green Power Choice program.

The organization was unveiled in May in Washington, D.C.

PowerSouth Energy Cooperative is a $1.3 billion generation and transmission cooperative that serves the wholesale energy needs of 16 electric cooperatives and four municipal electric systems in Alabama and northwest Florida. PowerSouth’s service territory spans 39 Alabama counties and 10 Florida counties. Owned and governed by those it serves, PowerSouth is dedicated to providing reliable and economical energy to meet the needs of nearly 800,000 consumers. Continuing a 66-year tradition of reliability and service to its members, PowerSouth remains a trusted energy provider for those it serves.

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For more information, contact
Mark Ingram, Corporate Communication Manager
334-427-3330   |   mark.ingram@powersouth.com
www.powersouth.com

PowerSouth is an EEO and AAP employer