Press Releases

Fighting for your future

Darke Rural Electric Cooperative, as your provider of safe, affordable and reliable electric service, is fighting to protect our members; fighting to minimize the cost impact of legislation currently being discussed by lawmakers — legislation that otherwise could go wrong for consumers, and go wrong for the country.

Between now and 2030, consumer demand for electricity is expected to increase by 30 percent. To meet that, our nation must add about 264,000 MW in expected demand. But construction cost increases and the need to develop climate change policy is preventing new coal and nuclear power facilities from coming online. Power suppliers are forced to use fuels such as natural gas, which is subject to wide swings in price, to generate electricity.

Coal, a once-inexpensive fuel, recently has shot up in cost as well. The impact of these mounting fuel issues is being compounded across the country as dramatic electric rate hikes are announced, driven by steady cost increases. These no longer are faraway problems reserved for backroom discussions in Washington, D.C., or state capitals. What has been described as a perfect storm — the clash of growing demand, skyrocketing power plant construction and fuel costs, and climate change policy constraints — has hit home.

To ensure that co-op members' energy needs are met, electric cooperatives across the country are engaged in a grassroots campaign called “Our Energy, Our Future: A Dialogue With America.” This campaign seeks to engage policymakers on critical energy questions, such as how to reconcile growing electricity needs and environmental goals, and how much of all this will increase electric bills.

Please visit www.ourenergy.coop to get the conversation started.

Major questions to ask elected officials and candidates for office are:

• Experts say that our nation's growing electricity needs soon will go well beyond what renewables, conservation and efficiency can provide. What is your plan to make sure we have the electricity we'll need in the future?
• Our country faces a crisis as electricity use increases faster than available supply. I believe that by unleashing American ingenuity we can solve this problem. What are you doing to speed the development of new technology that will allow me to have the electric power I need while meeting national climate policy goals?
• Balancing electricity needs and environmental goals will be difficult. How much is all this going to increase my electric bill and what will you do to make it affordable?