When Jim Anderson, CEO of Midstate Electric Cooperative in central Oregon, testified before a congressional committee in February, he never expected it to result in such a potentially dramatic impact on his co-op.

Anderson told members of a House Natural Resources subcommittee how Midstate has been trying for years to get federal approval to cut back the towering pine trees obscuring its power line through the rugged Newberry National Volcanic Monument. He warned that the popular tourist attraction is “one spark away from a devastating wildfire.”

At a March 9 PowerXchange panel discussion on political engagement, Anderson revealed the surprising response he got from policymakers within days of his testimony.

“The chair of the subcommittee called me and said, ‘You’re going to get a call from the undersecretary of the Department of Interior,’” he said.

When the undersecretary reached out to Anderson, he promised the co-op would soon have the permits it needs to manage the overgrown vegetation.

“It was a little daunting at first to testify before Congress,” he said. “But I think it showed everyone that we just wanted to solve the problem.”

Kelly Cushman, NRECA vice president of political programs, said Anderson’s experience underscores the importance of political engagement by co-ops.

“When you tell your story, you’re taking an abstract policy issue and making it human,” Cushman said as she led a panel titled “Power in Action: The Impact of Political Engagement.”

Co-op leaders said it’s also essential for co-ops to get to know their local, state and federal lawmakers and educate them about key issues that affect reliable, affordable power for consumer-members.

“For me, it’s about cultivating those relationships early and intentionally,” said Kathy Judkins, vice president of communications, community and member experiences at SECO Energy in Sumterville, Florida.

Judkins got to know a congressional staffer named Kat Cammack when Cammack was an aide to former U.S. Rep. Ted Yoho, R-Fla. After Yoho retired, Cammack ran for his seat and won, and SECO Energy now has a strong relationship with a congresswoman who understands their issues.

“You never know which city council member may become a state legislator or which congressional staffer may become the next member of Congress,” Judkins said.

Political engagement can be even more effective when co-ops unite behind a cause, said Steve Brame, president and CEO of the Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association.

He said Pennsylvania co-ops were able to save $10 million to $20 million annually by convincing the state legislature to remove not-for-profit co-ops from a “retail choice” law that mandates competition among investor-owned utilities as part of deregulation.

“There was not a single ‘no’ vote,” Brame said. “As co-ops, you’re stronger together than you are individually.”