NC Co-ops Discuss Key Issues on Capitol Hill

U.S. Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-10) met with leaders from Rutherford EMC and EnergyUnited at the legislative conference.

More than 100 leaders representing 23 North Carolina electric cooperatives traveled to Washington, D.C., in April to meet with members of our Congressional delegation and discuss issues important to electric co-op members. The group joined 2,000 others from electric co-ops across the country as part of the 2018 National Rural Electric Cooperative Association Legislative Conference.

U.S. Rep. G.K. Butterfield (D-1) met with leaders from Piedmont Electric, Edgecombe-Martin County EMC, Wake Electric and Halifax EMC.

North Carolina co-op leaders met with Senator Thom Tillis, staff from Senator Burr’s office, and Representatives or staff from each of the state’s 13 congressional districts, to advance key issues important to co-op members such as rural broadband investments and rural development funding (including funding for the USDA Rural Utilities Service’s electric loan program, the Rural Economic Development Loan & Grant program, the Rural Energy for America Program, and the Rural Energy Savings Program).

“The North Carolina co-op delegation used this opportunity to advocate for several cooperative priorities currently up for debate in the Farm Bill,” said Jay Rouse, Director of Government Affairs for North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives. “When our elected officials make decisions affecting the cooperative way of life, they remember feedback from their cooperatives back home.”