Along Those Lines: How Co-ops Work With Federal Partners to Mitigate Wildfire Risks

Central Electric Cooperative CEO Dave Markham testifies about wildfire risks at a Jan. 28 hearing before the House Energy and Commerce Committee. (Photo By: Alexis Matsui/NRECA)
Central Electric Cooperative CEO Dave Markham testifies about wildfire risks at a Jan. 28 hearing before the House Energy and Commerce Committee. (Photo By: Alexis Matsui/NRECA)

Wildfires have caused massive destruction in Western states and across the country during recent summers. Electric cooperatives reduce fire risk by maintaining rights of way and keeping equipment up to date, but their efforts are often complicated by the need to coordinate with multiple government agencies that oversee federal lands.

This episode is sponsored by OFS.

In the latest episode of Along Those Lines, we talk to NRECA Regulatory Issues Director Janelle Lemen, Dave Markham, CEO of Central Electric Cooperative in Oregon, and the U.S. Forest Service’s Jim Menakis about how these partnerships work and how they plan to make them better.

Listen to the episode below:

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Related Content:

Co-op CEO to Congress: Wildfire Risk Made Worse by Slow Federal Action

Find out more about NRECA’s podcast. Questions or suggestions? Email us at AlongThoseLines@nreca.coop.