Legislative Night

 

On December 8, area legislators took time out of their busy schedules to meet  with the Access Energy Cooperative board and management to share concerns and information on upcoming legislative issues. Your cooperative shared with Senators Sandy Greiner and Mark Chelgren, and Representatives Dave Heaton, Curt Hanson and Jerry Kearns that in order for electric cooperatives to continue to provide safe, efficient service to our members, we must:

• Ensure enough resources are available to meet our members’ demands.
• Continue investing in environmental upgrades to existing power plants.
• Continue research on capturing and storing carbon dioxide from power plants.
• Improve ability of the storage of consumer generated power.
• Restrain the rate of demand growth through cost effective energy efficiency.
• Increase energy generation from low-carbon sources such as renewables and nuclear energy.

    
The legislators shared with the cooperative board of directors and Robert Swindell, the General Manager/CEO and staff their concerns for the upcoming session. Discussion was held on the issue of baseload capacity, nuclear generation, renewable energy, the energy plan, and stray voltage.
    
The legislators also reported on other upcoming issues affecting Iowa including education, health reform, economic development, and the energy policy.