Climate Change |
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NRECA believes that Congress must act to address the nation’s energy and climate objectives. Congress, however, must pass the right piece of legislation. The right piece of legislation will give, not auction, allowances to retail electric utilities based upon their historical emissions, set CO2 caps consistent with the commercially available technology, and keep Wall Street speculators from treating emission allowances as a money-making opportunity. NRECA wants to work with Congress to develop and pass a simple, affordable, flexible, and effective piece of legislation that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
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Climate Change Fast Facts: A summary of where co-ops stand on climate change legislation
The Co-op Prism
Energy Efficiency | Top
Electric cooperatives are leading the nation to increase energy efficiency. FERC has recently acknowledged electric cooperatives for their high rate of Demand Response and Advanced Metering penetration. NRECA has been able to accomplish this through federal incentives, such as consumer efficiency tax credits, and increased federal investments in advanced technologies. NRECA believes that any plan to address carbon emissions should include provisions to increase and incentivize efficiency and conservation.
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Electric Cooperatives and Energy Efficiency: A Snapshot
View Slideshow: Models of Efficiency
Renewable Energy | Top
Electric cooperatives are working hard to increase their capacity to generate electricity from renewable resources. Currently, approximately eleven percent of our power comes from renewable resources. Many cooperatives have joined together to form the National Renewables Cooperative Organization (NRCO), that allows member cooperatives to purchase electricity from renewable generation projects, no matter their location. NRECA believes that any RES should include a 4 million MWh exemption, include energy efficiency as a way to meet the mandate, and have a broad definition of renewable resources.
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Renewable Electricity Fast Facts: a summary of where co-ops stand on renewable energy policy
Fast Facts: Agriculture-Based Energy: America’s Domestic, Renewable Supply
Fast Facts: Clean Renewable Energy Bonds: Comparable Renewable Generation Incentives
Hydro/PMAs
Renewable Energy
Co-ops and Renewable Energy
Rural Utilities Service | Top
The Rural Utilities Service (RUS) electric loan program allows electric cooperatives to construct and maintain their generation and transmission systems. These interest-bearing loans ensure that co-op consumers’ electricity remains available and rates remain affordable. In the current credit crunch, it is more critical than ever to keep the RUS program at its current loan level of $6.6 billion. This effective program costs tax payers less than $10 million annually.
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Fast Facts: A summary of where co-ops stand on the Rural Utilities Service
Rail Antitrust Exemption |
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Railroads’ antitrust exemption allows them to act like monopolies to manipulate market forces. This puts their consumers at a high risk of facing higher prices and inadequate service, while the rail industry reaps huge profits. NRECA urges Congress to enact legislation that ends railroads’ antitrust exemption.
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Fast Facts: Support ‘Railroad Competition’ Legislation
NRECA CEO Glenn English Rallies Rail Customers on Capitol Hill, Citing Impact of High Shipping Costs on U.S. Business
Offsets | Top
Offset provisions in cap-and-trade legislation allow utilities to satisfy a portion of their compliance obligation with greenhouse gas emissions reducing or sequestration-increasing activities. NRECA supports a voluntary offset program that ensures offsets are real, additional and verifiable. As the purpose of cap-and-trade legislation should be to reduce the level of greenhouse gases, such proposals should not limit the usage of legitimate domestic and international offsets to comply with a cap’s greenhouse gas reduction goals.
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Fast Facts: Support Domestic and International Offsets In Climate Change Legislation
Power Marketing Administrations (PMAs) | Top
The Power Marketing Administrations (PMAs) are federal agencies within the Department of Energy that are responsible for marketing electric power, primarily from multiple-purpose water projects. NRECA supports federal ownership of PMAs, the “preference” clause and cost –based rates for PMA power. These policies help keep electric rates affordable for rural America.
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Keep No-Emission Hydropower Flowing into Rural America
Health Care Reform | Top
For decades, NRECA has urged Congress to enact reforms that will create universal coverage, real cost containment, eliminate cost-shifting from government programs and increase access to quality care for all Americans. Electric cooperatives collectively provide health insurance benefits to over 200,000 employees, retirees and their families. Authorized under the federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), the NRECA Group Benefits Trust is a national plan that allows each member co-op to design a health benefits package tailored to meet the unique needs of its employees and retirees. We support all efforts to make health care more affordable, reliable and sustainable so that electric co-ops can afford to maintain these critical employee benefits.
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NRECA Opposes House-Passed Health Care Bill (H.R. 3962)
Senate-Passed Health Care Bill (H.R. 3590)
Substantial Changes Needed to Get NRECA Support
Pension Reform |
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NRECA strongly believes that any pension legislation should continue to encourage workers to provide for their economic security through personal savings and encourage employer-sponsored benefit plans.
Fast Facts: Support H.R. 3936, the “Preserve Benefits and Jobs Act of 2009”