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More than we like, the will and whims of government affect your electric cooperative’s costs and operational decisions. Federal and state elected officials and their appointed regulators set laws and rules that govern a range of issues, including regional electric markets, grid access, environmental impacts, employment laws, and taxes and fees, all of which affect the cost and reliability of your electric service. Government relations and advocacy are an essential part of the job of managing an electric cooperative.
Even though many issues are determined in noncontroversial, bipartisan fashion, each initiative must pass through the legislative and regulatory process sausage grinder.
That’s why Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives, the statewide association for the Ohio co-op network, has staff dedicated to building and maintaining strong relationships with elected officials. It’s also the reason that electric cooperatives constantly encourage our members to take political action — that includes not only voting, but also making your voices heard by the government officials who can address your concerns. Sometimes, it takes the influence of tens of thousands of co-op members. Co-op members can support a common mission by joining the Action Committee for Rural Electrification’s consumer-based affiliate, ACRE Co-op Owners for Political Action. The result of that chorus of voices can be deafening.
Take, for example, the inclusion of the RURAL (Revitalizing Underdeveloped Rural Areas and Lands) Act in the recently passed federal spending bill (which enjoyed the bipartisan support of every Ohio senator and congressional representative). The RURAL Act reverses a change that threatened co-ops’ tax-exempt status when we accept government grants for things such as broadband development, helping sister cooperatives during emergency situations, or even co-ops’ own disaster recovery needs. That tax-exempt status is crucial for enabling co-ops to provide electricity as affordably as possible. Co-op members demonstrated, once again, what can happen when rural America unites to speak with a collective voice to officials who know that they’ll be held accountable when the next election comes around.
Please consider supporting your electric co-op’s political action efforts through the Co-op Owners program. Also, the Ohio primary election is coming up fast — remember to vote on March 17.
