These are exciting times to be involved in the electric business. That applies to people like myself and to you as a member-owner of an electric cooperative. Let me explain. …
I have worked for electric cooperatives for almost 50 years. During that time, I have either been directly involved in or very close to every major event that has shaped our industry.
I vividly recall the attempt to discontinue the electric co-ops’ government loan program in the 1970s. Since then there has been legislation that allowed the formation of our own co-op bank, the National Energy Act of 1978, clean water and clean air legislation and more bills than I can remember. What I do recall is that in every instance, our single motivation was what was best for our members.
We are still fighting for our members. Today, the issues are huge. On one hand, there is the need to build baseload generation. There is a tremendous debate about what fuel type to use. Should it be coal, nuclear, gas? How much capacity can be displaced with increased efforts in energy efficiency and conservation? Will a combination of energy efficiency and conservation and renewables delay or even replace the need for baseload generation? If we use coal, which this portion of the country is blessed with, will the technology be available to capture carbon by the time the energy is needed?
Plus, we need to build transmission to bring renewables and baseload energy to the market, and that is fraught with its own difficulties in obtaining right-of-way.
These questions are at the forefront of the debate in Washington, D.C., and in our state capitols. These are the questions that we need to find answers to before committing our members to long-term investments that may have a short-term shelf life.
Those of us working daily on these issues are working to ensure that there are positive answers to these questions. Other organizations are working too, but most of them have different motives. I just read where some large corporations are supporting cap-and-trade legislation because they see it as a way to increase sales and their bottom lines.
That is not the reason that the electric cooperatives are involved in this debate. I am proud to say that the co-ops are one of the few organizations representing consumers.
We are also asking you to get involved to protect your own self interest. Some time ago we asked you fill out the “Our Energy, Our Future” postcards. You responded in a most positive way, and in September I had the privilege and pleasure of delivering more than 20,000 of these cards to the offices of Sens. Udall and Bennet. They heard your concerns. Both senators have signed a “Dear Colleague” letter requesting that the emissions formula in the climate change bill be based on emissions alone, not a combination of sales and emissions. This will help keep the costs down here in Colorado.
We still need your help. There are at least three other major issues to be addressed. The climate change bill must supersede the Environmental Protection Agency’s court-authorized ability to regulate carbon. There must be a limit to how high electric rates will be allowed to go. And, the emission caps and time lines need to be realistically achievable. It won’t be easy to achieve these “must haves” in the climate change legislation. But the co-ops are working toward these goals in an effort to protect your interests.
All of these efforts on various issues do make for exciting times ahead.
I know that I am going to miss being involved. After 49 years, I have decided to retire in January.
The Colorado Rural Electric Association has hired a very capable successor in Kent Singer. Kent has served as CREA’s general counsel since 1996, as well as doing legal work for several of the distribution co-ops and the co-ops’ generation and transmission co-op. He is well acquainted with Colorado’s electric co-ops and will serve the association well.
I will miss being part of the electric co-op program, one of the finest programs in the world, a program that does an outstanding job of working for the people it serves. I will also miss the people within the co-ops. They are some of the best people you will ever find.
As I bid them, and you, goodbye, I wish you well as you face the exciting times ahead.