The process to bring high speed Internet to Cook County has been long and hard, but the first subscribers will be hooked up this spring.
True North broadband services from Arrowhead Cooperative will be available to some Schroeder residents beginning in April, said Joe Buttweiler, Arrowhead Cooperative’s acting general manager.
Arrowhead’s technicians will start connecting homes and businesses in the far West End of the county and work eastward. Testing of the fiber network has yielded good results so far, Buttweiler said.
The weather, number of technician crews available, and the individual wiring needs of the homes and businesses will factor in to how quickly the process will progress. In June the cooperative will have a schedule for connecting customers in the Tofte and Lutsen areas.
As construction season approaches updates will be shared in Arrowhead’s monthly newsletter, on their website and on their Facebook page.
Stable electric rates and heating options
Arrowhead members received some good news when the board of directors decided not to raise electricity rates for 2014.
“This was made possible in part by Great River Energy, Arrowhead Cooperative’s wholesale energy provider, keeping their rates at the same level as in 2013. In addition, the board of directors and Arrowhead staff has kept operating costs down and managed the cooperative’s finances responsibly,” said Buttweiler.
Reflecting the severe winter weather in the region, Arrowhead is providing incentives for members who convert to an electric primary heat source. Arrowhead currently offers reduced rate programs for off peak electrical thermal storage (ETS) or dual fuel heat and water heat systems to its customers. The off-peak rate allows the purchase of electricity used for heating at 4.7 cents per kWh and a dual fuel rate of 6 cents per kWh.
To help reduce members’ costs, Buttweiler said Arrowhead Cooperative will waive the standard fees on conversions to an electrical heat system through April 30, 2014.
Arrowhead Cooperative members can access third party financing programs from the Center of Energy and the Environment (CEE). Through CEE, members can finance equipment and installations at zero percent interest for ETS systems.
Any homeowner may qualify for grant funding available through Arrowhead Economic Opportunity Agency’s (AEOA) Home Energy Program. Income limits for this program range from $35,000 to $90,000 and is available for a wide array of home energy improvements. This is a separate program from AEAO’s Energy Assistance.
Applications for these grant and loan programs and all of the energy rebates offered for 2014 can be found in the rebates and promotions section of the website at .
Solar Power for Cook County
Although a site hasn’t been selected yet, Arrowhead Cooperative, with help from Great River Energy (GRE) plans to install 20kW of solar capacity in Cook County, and they are also in the process of evaluating the feasibility of expanding to 40-60kW.
“The initial 20kW array will be owned by GRE who will sell the energy generated to Arrowhead as part of the existing wholesale power purchase contract,” said Buttweiler.
“The solar installation requires about an acre of land. Soil conditions, topography, forest cover, property ownership, land use, and proximity to Arrowhead Cooperative electrical systems are just a few of the considerations in site selection,” Buttweiler said.
The additional solar array would likely be a “community solar” project, a concept that allows members to purchase a share of a solar panel’s output. The energy generated is credited monthly to the member’s electrical account.
“Community solar is increasing in popularity because it reduces cost to those who want to support renewable energy but may not have the ability or desire to install solar on their own property,” said Buttweiler.
New utility projects
New electric projects scheduled for 2014 include the extension of the electrical plant from the current end point in Grand Portage to the U.S.-Canadian border.
“This will greatly increase the reliability of power supplied to homes and businesses in the immediate area at the border that are currently served by older lines from Hydro One in Thunder Bay,” Buttweiler said.
Aging cables near Lutsen Mountains will be replaced this year and upgraded to accommodate the new water pipeline installation. Lutsen Mountains will use the pipeline for snowmaking in the winter and Superior National at Lutsen Golf Course will use it for irrigation during warmer months.
Buttweiler also said underground line improvements would be made near mid-Gunflint Trail to better balance the energy load, and to improve the quality and reliability of electric service in the area.
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