Electric cooperatives have been involved with renewable energy since the very beginning, as the growth of rural electrification was intertwined with the growth in federal hydropower, both resulting from economic development “New Deal" programs of the 1930s. Today, co-ops purchase the output from roughly 10 gigawatts of hydroelectric plants sold by the four federal Power Marketing Administrations and the Tennessee Valley Authority. This advisory provides an update on co-op renewable growth, factors delaying renewable projects, and what is projected for the next few years.
