Influence on State & Federal Policy

Essential reading:

  • NRECA Campaign Donation Page (Source: Open Secrets)
    Description: Open Secrets Page about campaign contributions made by National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) which almost all 800+ Electric Distribution and Generation and Transmission Co-ops are a part of in the US.


Suggested reading:

  • Dems question ethics of hiring utility lobbyist (Source: EE News)
    Description: This article is about the questionable role of Elizabeth Bennett, a former staffer for Sen. Mitch McConnell, then a lobbyist for NRECA, who now heads the EPA's public engagement office. NOTE: this resource is behind a paywall.

  • Climate civil war brewing at ALEC & Pruitt climate science challenge splits conservative allies (Source: EE News / Politico)
    Description: These two articles are about ongoing climate and energy policy debates among conservative/free-market/fossil fuel intersts about whether or not to challenge climate science outright. The first describes a policy fight within the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). It mentions NREC as a lobbying "heavy weight," and quotes their spokesperson as opposing an ALEC resolution calling on EPA to revoke the CO2 endangerment finding. It mentions that NREC supports repeal of the Clean Power Plan. The second article also mentions NREC as a "major political donor" and points out that the association has not yet called for the EPA to revoke its endangerment finding.

  • Senate confirms Powelson, Chatterjee to FERC (Source: Utility Dive)
    Description: This article describes the recent appointment of Chatterjee as the head of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Prior to this appointment, he worked for Sen. McConnell. Prior to that, he was a lobbyist for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NREC).


Supplementary reading: