ARLINGTON, Va. – National Rural Electric Cooperative Association CEO Jim Matheson today issued the following statement regarding the midterm elections.
“Keeping the lights on and bolstering the rural American economy are goals that transcend party lines,” Matheson said. “As the nation works towards a future that depends on reliable electricity to power the economy, policymakers must recognize the vital role they play in setting policies that enhance electric reliability and preserve affordability for rural families and businesses.
“America’s electric cooperatives are focused on people, not profits as they work to power stronger communities. That community focus and the millions of voices from those rural and suburban communities will continue to define our congressional outreach as we work in a nonpartisan way to move legislation that builds a brighter future for America.”
Among the priorities for electric cooperatives in the 118th Congress:
- Pressing lawmakers to approach energy policy with affordability and reliability at the core. Today’s energy decisions will determine whether there are sufficient resources for the lights to come on tomorrow.
- Advocating for meaningful reforms to the process for permitting and siting new electric generation and transmission infrastructure as well as accelerating approval of multi-agency permits for vegetation management that will help prevent wildfires.
- Expanding access to rural broadband and ensuring the accuracy of Federal Communications Commission service maps so that federal funds are dedicated to projects that most efficiently close the digital divide.
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 $12 billion annually in their communities.
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