BY ETHAN HOHENADEL
Electric cooperatives exist to improve quality of life for our member-consumers, plain and simple. A big part of our success over the decades has been our ability to advocate for rural Iowa priorities on state and federal levels.
At the Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives (IAEC), we organize legislative fly-ins to Washington, D.C., each year so electric cooperative leaders can talk face-to-face with our elected legislators about timely issues and concerns. We have built a strong reputation for effective grassroots advocacy, and these fly-ins help ensure that Iowa electric co-op employees and directors can speak directly to policymakers about how federal legislation impacts our member-consumers and communities on the local level.
- In late April, IAEC coordinated a group of nearly 30 advocates who were able to meet with all six members of the Iowa congressional delegation, including Sen. Chuck Grassley, Sen. Joni Ernst, Rep. Randy Feenstra, Rep. Ashley Hinson, Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Rep. Zach Nunn. Our discussions during the individual meetings centered on these issues:
- Asking our legislators to optimally fund the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant (REDLG) program. Over the decades, Iowa’s electric cooperatives have served as resourceful intermediaries for these grants and loans, which boost rural economies and create or retain local jobs.
- Requesting continued funding of the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) Electric Loan program. Electric co-ops repay these loans with interest as they build a more resilient grid.
- Asking our legislators to oppose cuts to USDA and U.S. Department of Energy infrastructure grant programs as electric co-ops work to deploy new energy technologies, build a more resilient grid and defend against cyber threats.
- Imploring legislators to support Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) disaster recovery programs and mitigation programs that are essential for electric co-ops as they restore power and rebuild the electric system following major storm events in Iowa.
Asking legislators to support and pass additional permitting reform legislation, so we can keep electricity reliable and affordable for the member-consumers we serve.
We are grateful to all members of the Iowa congressional delegation and their staff for taking time out of their busy schedules to meet with us in their D.C. offices. We were able to share local stories of how federal programs help keep power affordable and reliable for the members we serve, and our group also provided specific examples of rural development success.
It takes a lot of effort to organize these meetings each year, but IAEC’s policy and advocacy team believes in the adage that if you’re not at the table, you could find yourself on the menu. We are proud to carry on our statewide legacy of advocating for Iowa’s member-consumers at the legislative table.
Ethan Hohenadel is the director of policy and advocacy for the Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives.
