Cooperative Living September 2020 - 30

Co-opPrinciples | by Andrew Vehorn, Contributing Columnist
Beat the Peak
A Cooperative Approach
to a New Energy Revolution
A
lbert Einstein's words are important
when we think about our energy
future. The grid today is definitely
different than it was in the late 19th century,
when central stations generated power
and sent it downstream to homes and
businesses. That world, one that our
grandmothers, grandfathers and greatgrandparents
created, never envisioned
power lines as bidirectional energy
highways.
Virginia and Maryland co-ops get power
from the Cherrydale solar field.
programs notify
members in advance
of surge in prices
so they can plan.
'The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking.
It cannot be changed without changing our thinking.'
But power systems have evolved and
electric cooperatives are evolving as well to employ changing
technologies, while meeting the changing needs of our
member-consumers. BARC Electric Cooperative ushered in
the first community solar project in Virginia, and its awardwinning
innovation continued in a net-metering partnership
with a local school district. A BARC affiliate installed and
maintains rooftop solar on schools across the district, leading
to energy and cost savings for Bath County.
Central Virginia Electric Cooperative recently built the
third-largest cooperative solar array in the U.S., with the
output split between a community solar offering and the
cooperative's larger power mix.
Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative recently announced
a power purchase agreement for more than 300 megawatts
of solar energy - production equivalent to a medium-sized
power plant. The agreement complements NOVEC's
renewable assets, including its 50-MW, state-of-the-art
biomass plant in Halifax County.
That plant, which makes power from wood slash, operates
in a way that is environmentally friendly and carbon-negative,
since it emits less carbon into the atmosphere than natural
decomposition.
Old Dominion Electric Cooperative, which provides
power to 11 co-ops in the mid-Atlantic, has 60 MW of
solar planned across Virginia, Maryland and Delaware so
all members have access to local community solar. ODEC
is also ramping up renewable energy in its larger fuel mix,
with 30 MW of solar in operation and more than 75 MW
under development. ODEC is also evaluating several
potential projects from a recent request for proposals issued
by the co-op through a national renewable cooperative.
In the Virginia General Assembly, co-ops have taken the
lead on renewable energy policy. In 2019, a new law raised
the net-metering cap in cooperative service territories from
28 | Cooperative Living | September 2020
1% to 5%, so more homeowners could participate in solar.
The measure also adopted much of the Sierra Club's Solar
Freedom Initiative.
In that process, co-ops worked to find common ground
and create energy policies that allow renewables to flourish,
while shielding ratepayers who don't participate in solar
from associated costs. That bipartisan bill passed with
overwhelming support from legislators.
Electric co-ops' unique not-for-profit status gives us a
different view of energy efficiency. Because we derive no profit
from selling power, we don't mind helping our members use
less of it through energy-efficiency programs.
Your co-op wants to sell you all the energy you need and
not a kilowatt-hour more. Co-ops across Virginia, Maryland
and Delaware have Beat the Peak programs that save money
by notifying members in advance when prices are expected
to surge, so they can plan to reduce energy use during that
time, reducing costs for all members.
During the 2020 Virginia General Assembly session,
Sen. Dave Marsden sponsored legislation that allows electric
co-ops to offer an add-on to their monthly bills to finance
energy-efficiency improvements - removing need for a large,
upfront investment. This makes energy-efficiency upgrades,
such as insulation and new HVAC systems, accessible
to everyone.
We never forget that we are owned by our members. As
your demand for renewable energy has increased, so have
our renewable offerings. We will continue to engage with
you, our members, and ensure that energy policies endorsed
by the cooperatives will keep your power safe, affordable,
reliable and environmentally friendly. ■
Andrew Vehorn is vice president of governmental affairs at the Virginia,
Maryland & Delaware Association of Electric Cooperatives.
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Cooperative Living September 2020

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