Gene Rodrigues, assistant secretary of energy for electricity, said he shares the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s goal of ensuring that the electric grid “remains reliable, resilient and affordable for all Americans.” The importance of grid reliability was the main message that co-op leaders took to Capitol Hill and federal agencies during April’s NRECA Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C.
“We are all in agreement with every single one of you in this room that reliability is the foundation of everything we want to do,” he said.
Unfortunately, the American people and many of their elected officials “take it for granted” that the lights will always come on when they flip the switch, Rodrigues said.
“That’s a problem,” he said, urging co-op leaders to “advocate, educate and collaborate” to sound the alarm about the potential risks to reliability.
“If it’s taken for granted, then we won’t have the champions we need to keep electricity reliable and affordable over time. … Make sure they understand the absolute necessity of investing in a 21st century power grid for the American people.”
