September 2008 Commentary
Keeping electricity for all
by Glenn English
CEO of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association
For more than 100 years, electric power has illuminated American homes, powered our economy and improved everyone’s standard of living. But at the turn of the 20th century, it was a luxury available only to the urban wealthy.
Those unable to afford service — or those living in rural areas that investor-owned utilities had decided were too unprofitable to reach — were literally left in the dark, creating an untenable divide between electricity “haves” and “have-nots.”
That grossly unfair system was eventually overturned in 1935 by creation of the Rural Electrification Administration (REA) and congressional passage the next year of the Rural Electrification Act. Through REA, an enthusiastic partnership between consumers and the federal government was molded, one devoted to the cause of bringing electric power to every corner of our great land. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt observed of REA’s mission at the time, “Electricity is no longer a luxury, it is a definite necessity.”
A driving concept behind the rural electric program was not only making sure every farm, residence or business could receive safe and reliable central station electric service but that the power delivered remained affordable. Today, though, we face the prospect of skyrocketing electric bills and a return to a time when electricity once again becomes a luxury.
Escalating costs for fuels such as coal and natural gas to produce power, and basic construction materials like steel, concrete and copper are forcing up the price of electricity nationwide. Over the past year, some consumers have seen rates jump 60 percent or more.
And these increases are only the first in a series confronting our industry. Inflation; international competition for raw resources, labor and expertise; and the price of meeting impending federal climate change goals will all add to the bottom line of electric bills.
The nation’s consumer-owned, not-for-profit electric cooperatives are trying to minimize the impact of this “perfect storm.” We are working to become increasingly efficient on both sides of the meter and ensure that we maintain adequate generation capacity to meet consumer demand.
On top of this, we are encouraging the federal government to dedicate additional resources toward researching and developing technologies that will allow us to generate, transmit and distribute electric power in the most economically and environmentally responsible manner possible.
In short, electric cooperatives are fighting for the rights of all electric consumers. If government won’t work with us in meeting our country’s pressing energy challenges, then we must be prepared to stand alone in defense of affordable electricity — and the have-nots.
Electricity is still a “definite necessity.” Electric co-ops make the case that America remains strong only when all segments of society have access to affordable power. But we need the help of our consumers in making sure our case is heard in the halls of Congress.
Please visit ourenergy.coop today and ask your elected officials to continue our nation’s long-standing commitment to keeping electricity affordable for all. Let’s not step back into darkness.
NRECA is the Arlington, Va.-based trade association for the nation’s consumer-owned electric cooperatives.
Written By: eceditor
Date Posted: 9/5/2008
Number of Views: 964
Return