Rural Power Coalition: What’s next for rural energy democracies in the power sector?
Channel: New Economy Coalition
Date: 2022-11-17

Congress made a historic investment into rural communities when it passed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Now, it is up to us to make sure that those rural communities have a voice in the way the Rural Utility Service distributes the more than $10 Billion dollars that are available to Rural Electric Cooperatives. 

Unfortunately, the Administration has given the public only one month - until November 28th, 2022 - to submit comments to the Rural Utilities Service on how they believe the IRA should be implemented. Such a brief window for community engagement is a missed opportunity for rural communities to provide the Rural Utility Service the nuanced feedback it requires to implement these programs effectively. 

In response to the limited time frame for public input, the Rural Power Coalition has written a letter to the Rural Utilities Service with priorities for the implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act programs pertaining to rural electric cooperatives. 

The priorities are: 
-  Increase Local Investment and Workforce Development  
 -  Assure Energy Savings & Affordability
 -  Reduce Green House Gas Emissions & Expand Clean Energy Investments 
-  Apply the Justice 40 Principles to Equitably Distribute Benefits to “Disadvantaged Communities” and “Energy Transition Communities”.

Please join the Rural Power Coalition in our call for the USDA Rural Utility Service (RUS) to open a thorough process for community input in the distribution of Inflation Reduction Act funding to Rural Electric Cooperatives by signing on to this letter (by Nov 27th): https://forms.gle/dz2FMENRrLRPvUXTA

*You can also sign the petition (as an individual): https://www.ruralpower.us/ira-petition

A public version of the slide deck: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1MJSJxmuS0eHCr38F3__NUBlo6GbnLqnl/edit#slide=id.p1

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The Rural Power Coalition (RPC) is leading the national movement for rural electric cooperative democracy. RPC is led by place-based organizations representing member-owners across the country.