America’s Electric Co-ops Ready to Work with Trump Administration, New Congress to Strengthen Rural Communities

ARLINGTON, Va. - National Rural Electric Cooperative Association CEO Jim Matheson issued the following statement on the election results.

"We congratulate President Trump on his election, and we look forward to working with him and Congress on a pro-energy agenda that protects affordability and reliability," Matheson said. "America is at an energy crossroads and the reliability of the electric grid hangs in the balance. Critical generation resources are being retired faster than they can be reliably replaced. At the same time, electricity demand is skyrocketing as power-hungry data centers and new manufacturing facilities come online. Smart energy policies that keep the lights on are more important than ever."

Among electric co-ops' ongoing policy priorities:

• Safeguarding Electric Reliability. Protecting the electric grid from increasing threats to reliability, such as the Environmental Protection Agency's Power Plant Rule.

• Reforming Federal Permitting. Modernizing and streamlining the federal permitting and siting process in a manner that eliminates excessive regulatory burdens and ensures more predictable and timely decisions from federal agencies.

• Enhancing Wildfire Protection. Passage of legislation such as the Fix Our Forests Act (H.R. 8790) that includes crucial improvements to grid hardening and wildfire mitigation procedures that will help co-ops better address wildfire hazards on utility rights-of-way.

• Defending Direct Pay. Maintaining direct pay tax credits, which provide direct federal payments to electric co-ops when they deploy new energy technologies, including carbon capture, nuclear, energy storage, renewables and more.

• Promoting Infrastructure Modernization. Improving the nation's electric infrastructure, including transmission facilities critical to maintaining a reliable electric grid.

• Deploying Rural Broadband. Delivering quality, affordable broadband to rural communities through programs such as the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program.

The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association is the national trade association representing nearly 900 local electric cooperatives. From growing suburbs to remote farming communities, electric co-ops serve as engines of economic development for 42 million Americans across 56 percent of the nation's landscape. As local businesses built by the consumers they serve, electric cooperatives have meaningful ties to rural America and invest $15 billion annually in their communities.

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