Electric Co ops Pledge to Work with President Trump on a Pro Energy Agenda that Prioritizes Reliability, Affordability

ARLINGTON, Va. - National Rural Electric Cooperative Association CEO Jim Matheson today issued the following statement on President Trump's inauguration and the new administration's opportunity to advance a pro-energy agenda that prioritizes reliability and affordability.

"President Trump's pledge to dramatically increase U.S. energy supply and achieve energy dominance resonates strongly with electric cooperatives," Matheson said. "We look forward to working with him to implement a pro-energy agenda that prioritizes electric reliability and affordability and strengthens the nation's grid.

"America is at an energy crossroads, and the electric grid's reliability hangs in the balance. Critical generation resources are being retired faster than they can be reliably replaced. At the same time, electricity demand is surging as power-hungry data centers and new manufacturing plants come online. Smart energy policies that keep the lights on are more important than ever."

NRECA has urged the new administration to:

• Ensure the Department of Energy and other key agencies pursue policies that bolster the long-term reliability of the nation's electric grid. This includes reversing the Environmental Protection Agency's unlawful power plant rule and halting federal efforts to breach the Lower Snake River Dams.
• Reform the federal permitting system, including the National Environmental Policy Act, so electricity can be delivered where and when it's needed. This means eliminating excessive regulatory burdens and ensuring more predictable and timely decisions from federal agencies.
• Improve federal wildfire protections by swiftly eliminating red tape at federal land management agencies that impedes wildfire mitigation efforts. Expediting approvals for right-of-way maintenance on public lands could go a long way toward reducing serious wildfire hazards.
• Preserve co-ops' access to federal infrastructure programs that support investments in electric infrastructure and help co-ops harden their systems and respond to surging demand.

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.

-###-