ARLINGTON, Va. – The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association today issued the following statement regarding President Trump’s decision to leave the Paris accord.
“Electric co-ops are committed to a healthy environment and vibrant rural communities. We can, and should, have both,” said NRECA CEO Jim Matheson. “Co-ops are taking aggressive steps to reduce our carbon footprint while protecting the diverse energy portfolio that’s needed to preserve the reliability and affordability of the co-op power supply. That’s why co-ops have invested billions of dollars in renewable technology and energy efficiency advances and millions of dollars in XPRIZE carbon capture research.
“American consumers, including co-op members, are asking for more from their electricity providers. As member-owned, not-for-profit organizations, electric cooperatives are driven by a desire to meet and exceed their members’ expectations. That’s why co-ops are implementing energy-efficiency programs to lower costs, deploying smart meters to give members better insight into their usage and bringing more renewable technology online every month.
“Co-ops remain focused on putting the needs of their members first. We look forward to continuing to work with the president and other stakeholders on solutions that protect our environment and the diversity of our electric generating portfolio while also bolstering the rural American economy.”
Since 2010, co-op renewable energy capacity has more than doubled from 4 gigawatts to 8.5 gigawatts, a 112 percent increase. Co-ops purchase another 10 gigawatts of hydropower from the federal power marketing administrations.
The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association is the national service organization that represents the nation’s more than 900 not-for-profit, consumer-owned electric cooperatives, which provide service to 42 million people in 47 states.