Green was the popular color at the State Capitol on March 17, but it wasn’t for St. Patrick’s Day. Nearly 200 REC co-op advocates wore green in support of Iowa’s rural electric cooperatives during the 2026 REC Day on the Hill.
General Manager David Opie, Linemen Hunter Koehn and Max Hunter, Board Member Cody Miller, and Manager of Member Services Jason Gibbs were in attendance to support this year’s advocacy efforts.
Advocates met with their legislators to discuss utility worker protections that would strengthen penalties for those who harass, threaten or assault utility workers on the job. Additionally, they shared concerns with third-party solar provisions that sets a concerning precedent statewide. Iowa’s electric cooperatives support solar development when it makes sense locally, but they must be held to the same consumer protection standards or regulatory oversight as Iowa’s public utilities.