Future-Focused

Utility associations implement strategic plans to benefit members

Story by Dianna Troyer

With careful strategic planning, many challenges facing rural electric cooperatives also present opportunities, says Lisa Levine, executive director of the Nevada Rural Electric Association. She and other executive directors of statewide rural electric cooperative associations share their strategies for the future.

Chad Black, general manager of Raft River Rural Electric Co-op, represents the co-op on the boards of these associations in Idaho, Nevada and Utah.

LISA LEVINE
Nevada Rural Electric Association Executive Director

What are the biggest issues facing rural electric cooperatives?
Affordability, large data loads and natural disasters will continue to be significant challenges over the next decade.

Public power is uniquely positioned because of the cooperative model—not-for-profit, locally governed with the incentive to deliver affordable and reliable power rather than be managed by billionaire shareholders who couldn’t care less about the end user. Large data loads and the proliferation of data centers is a challenge because they pose risk to affordability, natural resources such as energy, water and land and could disrupt the protection of service territories. Public power and rural communities must have a voice and a seat at the table as key decision-makers for these discussions.

How is the association supporting co-ops to improve reliability and prepare for natural disasters, such as wildfires?
NREA supports member utilities by advocating for common-sense legislation that supports improving reliability and preparation through permitting reform, Federal Emergency Management Agency reform, and public policies, such as Fix Our Forests Act. Drought also impacts hydropower across the West. NREA advocates for and closely watches legislation that invests in and protects hydropower, particularly for the lower Snake River dams and the Hoover Dam. The Help Hoover Dam Act is just one example. The statewide association also identifies and applies for grants to strengthen the grid.

What initiatives will strengthen grid resilience and how will Raft River benefit?
NREA members were awarded a $7,086,000 grid resilience grant from the Nevada Governor’s Office of Energy and the U.S. Department of Energy for grid resilience.

Also, Nevada’s Office of Federal Assistance awarded NREA $1,222,497 for member utilities to use toward the required match for a combined total of $8,308,497. NREA is 100% pass-through, meaning all funds will go directly to the member utilities, including Raft River, which will receive $923,166 from the grants.

These funds are a significant opportunity and huge investment to modernize and strengthen the grid to promote affordable, reliable and safe delivery of power to rural Nevadans.

WILL HART
Idaho Consumer-Owned Utilities Association Executive Director

What are key state and federal policy issues that ICUA is working on?
Idaho benefits from being an energy industry friendly state with tremendous support from our legislature, constitutional officers and congressional delegation.

But the state is facing many of the challenges facing the rest of the Pacific Northwest region. Studies show the region is facing a nearly 9 GW gap by 2030. At the same time, we are facing this resource adequacy issue. The states of Washington, Oregon and several other sovereigns are suing to remove the lower Snake River dams, which provide 3,000 MW of low-cost, renewable, on-demand power.

ICUA works hard with our regional partners, Bonneville Power Administration and the U.S. Justice Department to prevent this attempt to remove generation that is vital to rural Idaho.

What projects are strengthening grid resilience?
Mitigation against the risk wildfire poses to our members and utility infrastructure remains a top priority. Our co-ops are investing millions of dollars every year in vegetation management, upgrading our infrastructure and investing in new technologies to do all we can to harden our systems and protect our members.

What are the legislative priorities for 2026?
ICUA will ask our legislators to “do no harm.” We will work hard to push back against any potential legislation that would lead to higher electricity rates or proposals that would threaten the reliability of Idaho’s grid.

How are you engaging members and developing future leaders?
The ICUA Youth Rally is a leadership camp and scholarship program held each summer to inspire, pique curiosity and help young people develop leadership qualities. Scholarships are available through your local utility. Please encourage high school sophomores and juniors to apply.

NATHANIEL JOHNSON
Utah Rural Electric Cooperative Association Executive Director

What are the biggest opportunities ahead?
Utah is growing, and while much of that growth is along the Wasatch Front, rural areas are also beginning to see increased development. This presents challenges and opportunities. Rural electric cooperatives are uniquely positioned to respond to member needs. As our communities grow, so will our co-ops. We believe cooperatives can serve as models for responsibly managing and supporting community growth across the state.

What are 2026 priorities and industry trends to have reliable, affordable electric generation?
We plan to host tours for Utah legislators at the Deserado Mine and Bonanza Power Plant to deepen their understanding of rural electric cooperatives, the communities we serve, and how co-ops prioritize affordability and reliability for their member-owners. Additionally, we are collaborating with the Utah Office of Energy Development and the Energy Education Advisory Group to develop K-12 energy education resources. These efforts will support science teachers and students statewide by improving understanding of Utah’s energy portfolio, the science behind energy production and workforce development opportunities.

How are the next generation of co-op leaders being developed?
A top priority for URECA is strengthening our partnership with Snow College, which hosts the Michael F. Peterson Youth Leadership Challenge each year. We are working to provide leadership college credit for participants and recruit private donors to establish scholarships for students who choose to attend Snow College.

How can members be engaged to honor a legacy?
We encourage co-op members to understand our history and take pride in our heritage. Rural electric cooperatives exist to serve the communities where our members live and work. Our roots are grounded in neighbors stepping up for one another when others paid little attention or invested nothing. Electrification transformed rural life through the sacrifices of those who came before us.

Today, our responsibility is to stay engaged, honor that legacy and make thoughtful decisions so future generations continue to have access to affordable, reliable electricity.

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