We Are America’s Electric Cooperatives
From booming suburbs to rural farming communities, America’s electric cooperatives are energy providers and engines of economic growth
for 42 million Americans.
Smart Energy Policy Keeps the Lights On
American families and businesses expect the lights to stay on at a cost they can afford. But that’s no longer a guarantee. Over the next five years, 19 states from Montana to Louisiana are at high risk of rolling blackouts during normal peak conditions.
- U.S. power demand will reach record highs in 2024 and 2025, increasing by 2.5% and 3.2% respectively.
- Peak electricity demand is projected to grow by 38 gigawatts over the next five years – the equivalent of adding another California to the grid.
The stakes are too high to get this wrong. As electricity demand grows and supply fails to keep up, bad public policy is making the problem worse. That’s why America’s electric co-ops are fighting for smarter energy policies that prioritize reliability and affordability for all.
• Podcast: ‘Immediate, Irreparable Harm’—The Impacts of EPA’s Power Plant Rule
• Co-ops Warn of Surging Costs, Reliability Crunch in Bid to Halt EPA Rule
• ‘Unlawful, Unrealistic, Unachievable’: EPA’s ‘Barrage’ of Power Plant Rules
• Matheson: Reliable, Affordable Electricity Hinges on Rational Public Policy
• Matheson: Snake River Dams Are Vital to Power Supply in Northwest
• Co-op CEO: ‘Jobs and Industry Will Flee’ if Reliability Issues Aren’t Fixed
Learn More About Co-ops and Reliability.
Spotlight Feature: Prioritizing Reliability
Hear NRECA CEO Jim Matheson’s remarks on grid reliablility at an October 2023 POLITICO event.
Leaders
in Rural Broadband
Millions of rural American families and businesses are stuck on the wrong side of the digital divide. And where no one else will provide the service, electric co-ops have found a way. Motivated by people, not profits, and the needs of their communities, electric co-ops are making rural broadband a reality.
• Electric Co-op Offers Free Wi-Fi to First Responders
• Zero to 40,000: Arkansas Co-op Hits Broadband Milestone
• End of Affordable Connectivity Program Will Hurt Broadband Deployment
• Co-ops Band Together to Build Statewide and Regional Middle Mile Networks
• Leapfrogging the Competition: Mississippi Co-0p Delivers XGS-PON Broadband
• Virginia Co-op Makes 20K Broadband Connections in 52 Months
• Report: Co-ops Finding Success in Rural Broadband
Co-op Facts: Bridging the Digital Divide
More than 200 co-ops in 39 states are developing or planning to deploy broadband service to their members, giving them access to telehealth services, online learning, remote work and new possibilities for local businesses.
Powering Stronger Communities
Electric co-ops are built by, and belong to, the communities they serve. As we innovate to meet tomorrow’s energy needs, that focus on people instead of profits will lead to stronger rural communities.
• Georgia Co-op’s STEM Day Promotes Energy Careers for High Schoolers
• Arizona Co-op Answers Cleanup Call on the Road to Mexico
• Co-ops Support Murals and Other Public Art to Spur Rural Restoration
• New Report: Electric Co-ops Are ‘Powerful Engines of Economic Development’
• ‘A Vital Community Project’: Co-op Plants Trees to Aid Wildfire Recovery
• Co-op ‘Horsepower’ Is Helping Close Rural Housing Gaps
• Pennsylvania Co-op’s Initiative Helps Revitalize Its Communities
• S.C. Co-op Opens Channels to Its Growing Hispanic Community
• Co-op Economic Development Fund Hits $1B in Project Impact
• Co-op Support of Accessibility Ramp Project Helps Texas Members
Spotlight Feature: 'It's a Gift That All Americans Deserve'
Volunteers from 16 electric co-ops in five states will travel to Navajo Nation this summer to help bring electricity to at least 200 homes as part of an initiative to improve the lives of Americans in remote tribal areas.
Driving New Possibilities
America’s electric cooperatives are innovating to meet tomorrow’s energy needs. From advancing the world’s largest carbon capture project to bundling solar energy and battery storage, co-ops are transforming the electric sector. As we work to meet tomorrow’s energy needs, smart investment in the future of their communities is key.
• Ag Secretary Announces $81 Million for Colorado Co-ops’ Solar Projects
• Co-ops Tapped to Negotiate DOE Grants for Clean Energy, Grid Projects
• Co-op Consortium Selected for $45M in DOE Funding for Microgrids
• Co-ops Make Early Moves to Accommodate Commercial EV Fleet Needs
• Co-op Pursues Community-Scale Microgrid After ‘Snowpocalypse’
• Co-ops Turn Federal Funding Into Better Quality of Life for Their Members
• Co-ops Overwhelm USDA With Project Proposals for $9.7B New ERA Program
• G&Ts Collaborate on First Recommissioned Nuclear Plant in U.S. History
Co-op Facts: Rise in Renewables
Since 2016, co-ops have nearly doubled their renewable capacity from 8.2 gigawatts to nearly 15.8 gigawatts.