The 2024 election centered on widespread frustration with America’s economy and immigration. While energy policy didn’t receive as much time in the campaign spotlight, the second Trump presidency is likely to result in significant changes in how our nation approaches its ever-growing demand for electric power. For electric co-ops, it appears those changes may be positive.
“America is at an energy crossroads, and the reliability of the electric grid hangs in the balance,” National Rural Electric Cooperative Association CEO Jim Matheson explained. “Critical generation resources are being retired faster than they can be reliably replaced. At the same time, electricity demand is skyrocketing as power-hungry data centers and new manufacturing facilities come online. Smart energy policies that keep the lights on are more important than ever.”
Shortly after the election, the North American Electric Reliability Corp. (NERC) warned that many regions face an elevated risk of electricity shortfalls in the face of extreme weather such as prolonged cold snaps. NERC, the nation’s grid watchdog, reiterated that older power plants are being retired at the same time Americans are using more electricity. While solar and wind farms have been sprouting up, they can’t deliver the always-available electricity that coal- and gas-fired plants have long provided.
NRECA has been urging officials to eliminate regulatory burdens such as the EPA’s power plant rule and to encourage the Department of Energy and other agencies to take steps that will eliminate bureaucratic roadblocks and bolster the long-term reliability of the nation’s grid.
Electric cooperatives’ vision for America’s energy future calls for a durable plan to ensure our consumer-members and the largely rural communities they call home will have reliable and affordable access to electricity in the face of the nation’s skyrocketing demand.
Illinois’ electric cooperatives are comfortable taking a leadership role in this effort, because they have worked with elected officials and their staffs to advocate for their consumer-members. Policymakers from both parties have consistently commended electric cooperatives as reputable energy providers and engines of economic development that play a vital role in transforming the local communities they proudly serve.
Solidifying a positive and resilient energy future for co-op communities involves a long list of issues and elements. For example, electric co-ops are pressing Congress and the Trump administration to take steps to overhaul outdated permitting laws that delay or frustrate efforts to build the new infrastructure tomorrow’s energy needs demand. Electric co-ops are also working to support their members by maintaining federal programs and tax credits that bolster reliability and affordability and allow co-ops to deploy broadband to unserved communities.
Electric co-ops will continue to strengthen the voices of cooperative consumer-members to make sure representatives at the federal and state level are aware of these concerns and the importance of ensuring reliable, affordable electricity for all Americans. To stay up to date on energy-related legislative issues or to get involved, visit aiec.coop/iclvcp.
