A representative of Mountain Parks Electric Association took the electric cooperative message to Washington, D.C., May 6 to 9. MPEI Board Vice President Ross Caldwell joined more than 100 board members, managers and staff members from Colorado’s co-ops who met with Colorado’s congressional delegation during the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s annual legislative conference. Also in Washington were more than 3,000 representatives of other electric co-ops across the country.

Caldwell and others from Colorado’s electric co-ops were in D.C. to remind senators and representatives of how the laws they pass in Washington can have a direct affect on people and business back home. The top five issues this year included funding for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utility Service, the maintenance of federal hydropower projects and the rates charged for this power, renewable energy bonds, railroad monopolies and funding for additional research on climate change.

Funding for electric co-op programs through RUS was at the top of the list as co-op representatives met with legislators. The Office of Management and Budget is working to eliminate loans that can be used to build generation facilities. This comes at a time when there is a need for more and more electricity. The OMB has also threatened to impose regulations that would limit access to RUS funding to only the most remote parts of the United States. The co-op representatives asked all of the legislators to oppose these proposals that would hurt electric co-ops.

The co-ops also asked legislators to fund work on the country’s federal hydropower facilities. Many of these dams have suffered from a lack of maintenance and are not running at peak efficiency. This is wasting a valuable renewable resource at a time when the industry is working to add more renewable resources to the fuel mix. Co-ops also made their congressional representatives aware of a backdoor move by OMB to raise rates for hydropower when 100 percent of the hydropower projects’ costs are already recovered through electric rates.

Clean renewable energy bonds were also promoted. Known as CREBS, these relatively new bonds provide incentives for co-ops to invest in renewable energy projects. House members were asked to support HR 1965, which would provide $1 billion a year in CREBs through 2010.

Regarding problems with railroads and high prices they charge co-ops to transport coal, house members were asked to co-sponsor HR 1650 and senators were asked to support S. 772. These would repeal the railroad exemptions from the antitrust and transportation statues and allow attorneys general to halt anticompetitive conduct. Support was requested for HR 2125 and S. 953, which would help rail customers to obtain more reliable rail service.

Co-op representatives also requested significant new funding for research and development. New technology is needed to give cooperatives and others in the electric utility industry the tools to meet new carbon standards and other requirements connected to climate change. There is a gap now between what people want to happen and the technology available to make it happen. Only funding for research will allow the electric industry to meet these goals, co-op representatives told their legislators.

The trip to Washington is being followed up with letters and background information that is being sent to senators and representatives on behalf of Colorado’s electric cooperatives.