Electric Co-ops Applaud Trump Administration’s Actions to Boost Reliable, Affordable Power

ARLINGTON, Va. - National Rural Electric Cooperative Association CEO Jim Matheson issued the following statement on today's actions by the Trump administration to protect grid reliability by safeguarding reliable and affordable power.

"As electricity demand skyrockets, smart energy policies that help keep the lights on are more important than ever," NRECA CEO Jim Matheson said. "Today's announcements give electric co-ops important flexibility to reliably meet growing energy needs at a cost local families and businesses can afford. In recent years, misguided energy policies have forced essential power plants off the grid, while electricity demand surged. We thank the administration for moving swiftly to respond to growing energy needs with an emphasis on new tools, flexibility and a pro-energy policy agenda."

The North American Electric Reliability Corporation projected that peak power needs are expected to increase 17% over the next 10 years, and newly announced projects-particularly data centers-will drive that number even higher. In the meantime, more than 115,000 megawatts of always-available generation-enough to power about 100 million homes-is expected to retire over the next decade.

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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