ARLINGTON, Va. – National Rural Electric Cooperative Association CEO Jim Matheson today issued the following statement in support of the Trump administration’s final rule that clarifies which water bodies will be regulated as Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) under the Clean Water Act:
“The new rule is a sensible regulation that provides regulatory clarity, protects the environment and recognizes the important role of states in managing the nation’s water resources. The 2015 WOTUS rule would have increased regulatory delay and costs for electric co-ops to maintain and build critical infrastructure. The new rule will facilitate this important work as co-ops strive to meet growing energy needs.”
The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association is the national trade association representing more than 900 local electric cooperatives. From growing suburbs to remote farming communities, electric co-ops serve as engines of economic development for 42 million Americans across 56 percent of the nation’s landscape. As local businesses built by the consumers they serve, electric cooperatives have meaningful ties to rural America and invest $12 billion annually in their communities.
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