Powering Communities: The Crucial Role of America’s Electric Cooperatives
America's electric cooperatives make up a unique sector of the electric industry. From remote farming communities to growing urban areas, electric co-ops serve 56% of the land mass of the United States, which is primarily residential and sparsely populated. It is these characteristics that make it comparatively more expensive to operate than the rest of the electric sector, which tends to be more compact, industrialized, and densely populated.
Locally, electric co-ops focus on powering and empowering their communities. Nationally, we focus on advocating for smart energy policies that keep the lights on. This includes supporting a diverse energy supply of always available resources and pressing for solutions to meet skyrocketing electricity demands at a cost local families and businesses can afford.
As our nation increasingly relies on electricity to power the economy, keeping the lights on has never been more important – or more challenging. Over the next 5 years, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation forecasts that all or parts of several states from North Dakota to Louisiana are at high risk of rolling blackouts during normal peak conditions. Flawed public policies that force the premature closure of existing power plants are a big reason why. The problem is compounded by the rapid growth of data centers. Some forecasts project data centers will consume 9% to 10% of ALL U.S. electricity generation by 2030.
Continued rural development requires access to affordable, reliable electric power; it is a cornerstone to building and maintaining the viability of any community.
With the advent of a new administration in Washington D.C., electric co-ops stand in support of implementing a pro-energy policy agenda with a focus on affordability and reliability for American families and businesses. Some of the highest-priority action items are:
- Repealing EPA’s unlawful power plant rule for greenhouse gas emissions as well as numerous other EPA regulations that threaten electric reliability.
- Fixing broken permitting regulations to streamline and accelerate project reviews.
- Repealing harmful public lands and species conservation rules makes it challenging, and sometimes impossible, to operate and maintain powerlines that span federal lands and to mitigate wildfire risks.
- Reversing the harmful plan to attack and remove the Lower Snake River Dams which power the Pacific Northwest with reliable and affordable hydroelectricity.
- Making effective and efficient use of the remaining infrastructure dollars appropriated by Congress in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to invest in our electric infrastructure, enhancing grid reliability and resilience.
Electric cooperatives supply electricity that is vital to the survival of thousands of economies. Continued rural development requires access to affordable, reliable electric power; it is a cornerstone to building and maintaining the viability of any community. Regulations that are not cost-effective and increase the cost of generating that electricity, or that threaten its availability, pose serious threats to the entire American economy. We encourage the new administration to support policies that prioritize investment in American energy production, manufacturing, and infrastructure which are crucial for the well-being of our communities and our country.
Brandon J. Wittman
Chief Executive Officer