PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island —NRECA is committed to electric cooperatives’ continuous improvement and bringing together co-op leaders “to innovate, to grow and to get inspired,” CEO Jim Matheson said at the start of the 2025 Regional Meetings.

“NRECA is a champion for every one of America’s electric cooperatives—and they’re all different,” he said Sept. 4 at the Regions 1&4 Meeting. “We share a purpose with each of you—our work is grounded in service and service excellence.”

Matheson outlined how NRECA works with co-op leaders at every level to be part of their success and highlighted employee benefits such as NRECA’s retirement plans and health insurance programs.

“All these things boil down to one thing for me: NRECA exists for our members,” he said. “That’s what we’re made of. It’s you.”

Matheson noted the importance of the member resolution process to NRECA’s policy advocacy, with delegates at the Regional Meetings voting on proposed resolutions. He also encouraged co-ops to share their ideas and give feedback.

“If you have a question or need something—call me,” he said. “Because I’m here to help.”

Call to Political Action

Successful advocacy for co-ops’ priorities “depends on unity, on cooperation,” Matheson said. “When we speak with one voice, we’re guaranteed to be heard.”

“There’s not a lot of trust in Washington these days, but policymakers trust us,” he added. “They know who we are, they know our issues, and they know that we’re all about doing the right thing.”

He asked co-ops to work together to push for crucial improvements to the federal permitting process and the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s disaster assistance programs.

Co-ops have rallied around the importance of reliability as electric demand skyrockets, threatening energy supply shortfalls and putting pressure on affordability, Matheson said. To deal with those challenges, co-ops need a reliable, constructive partner in the federal government to improve the electric system and restore service after natural disasters.

A key part of the solution is a transparent, predictable and reasonable siting and permitting process for new power plants, transmission and distribution lines, and other infrastructure.

“It's not going to be easy,” Matheson said. “There’s no magic wand. It takes Congress, it takes the administration, and it takes industry working closely together. We can make this happen.”

Federal agencies released new procedures earlier this year to streamline environmental reviews of certain energy and broadband projects. But other reforms are needed, including those in a new House bill that would cut permitting delays for co-op system upgrades.

Co-ops also need a smoother and faster process for getting crucial federal support after natural disasters like hurricanes, wildfires and tornadoes.

FEMA funding is essential to ensure that the huge cost of restoring electric systems doesn’t get passed on to co-op members, Matheson said. But the agency’s inconsistent processes, slow response times and poor communication make it hard for co-ops to recover.

A bipartisan bill in Congress that NRECA helped write could make FEMA a more reliable partner. The legislation would speed delivery of disaster relief funds to co-ops, including by directing FEMA to reimburse a co-op for emergency work no later than 120 days after it submits a request. It would also allow co-ops to upgrade their systems after disasters rather than build everything back as it was before. 

NRECA also successfully pushed to add a provision to the bill that would make co-ops eligible to be reimbursed for interest on loans used to rebuild after storms until they get funding from FEMA. 

“I’m asking every one of you at this meeting, and every member of NRECA, to rally around this FEMA reform bill,” Matheson said, noting that the legislation cleared a key House committee by a strong bipartisan vote of 57-3.

Co-ops should tell their elected officials to sponsor and support the bill, he advised.

“We need to fix this situation because we shouldn’t have to worry about FEMA when our number one priority is restoring service.”