ARLINGTON, Va. – National Rural Electric Cooperative Association CEO Jim Matheson today issued the following statement on the confirmation of Brooke Leslie Rollins as U.S. Secretary of Agriculture.
“Brooke Rollins’ ties to rural communities and American agriculture, as well as her experience in both federal and state government, make her an excellent choice to lead USDA,” NRECA CEO Jim Matheson said. “USDA is an invaluable partner to electric cooperatives as they work to empower local communities and build a better tomorrow across rural America. We look forward to continuing this partnership alongside Secretary Rollins and congratulate her on her confirmation.”
Matheson urged USDA to unleash electric cooperatives’ full capabilities by streamlining environmental reviews that frequently delay infrastructure projects, easing burdensome regulations and government red tape, and maintaining critical funding appropriated by Congress.
USDA’s Rural Utilities Service is a source of critical tools and funding that assist electric co-ops in their mission of providing reliable and affordable power to rural communities. Dating back to its days as the Rural Electrification Administration, the RUS has been providing loans to co-ops since 1936. These loans are issued at no cost to the federal government, and in fiscal year 2023 they netted $218 million to the U.S. Treasury.
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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