As summer fades into fall, we find ourselves reflecting on a season marked by extremes. Summer has been exceptionally hot and wet—challenging conditions for our community, especially our local farmers. Timing hay cycles around unpredictable rainstorms was a frustrating gamble, as many watched freshly mowed and raked hay get drenched by sudden downpours.
To stay cool, our members turned on the air conditioning for relief from heat and humidity spikes. While the increase in electricity consumption led to higher revenue for the cooperative, it also brings to mind important questions about long- term sustainability and reliability.
Higher energy demand puts additional pressure on our aging electric grid. Coupled with the retirement of base load generation and evolving governmental mandates, the energy sector is facing significant hurdles in maintaining consistent power delivery.
Recently, the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) released a statement urging the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to swiftly repeal the Biden administration’s 2024 greenhouse gas rule for power plants. The regulation, which mandates existing coalfired plants and many new natural gas plants to capture 90% of carbon emissions, presents steep costs and reliability risks for electric cooperatives nationwide.
“Repealing the unlawful power plant rule is an essential step to ensure the reliability of the electric grid and meet skyrocketing energy demands,” said NRECA CEO Jim Matheson. “Always-available generation is critical to keeping the lights on at a cost local families and businesses can afford.”
The rule also requires certain coal plants to be 40% co-fired with natural gas by 2030—standards that NRECA argues are unachievable in real-world operations. These mandates could force the early retirement of essential generation assets and restrict new natural gas capacity at a time when demand is surging, especially with the rise of data centers and other large loads.
This is not a new battle for us, and we will continue to support national efforts to repeal these unworkable mandates. Locally, Clarke Electric remains steadfast in our mission: to keep your power flowing and your lights on. For the past 85 years, we’ve proudly served our membership, and we remain committed to doing so with reliability, affordability, and care.
Thank you for your continued trust and support.
Several photos of work throughout the territory can be found in this month's newsletter.