Political Action That Benefits Co-ops

Do you like to be involved in the voting process and support legislators who you believe will support you?

Great Lakes Energy does, too. We rely on the support of political leaders to make sure programs are in place that benefit our industry and our members.

We do that through a bipartisan grassroots network called Action Committee for Rural Electrificiation, or ACRE. Many co-op employees, board members, and even co-op members voluntarily contribute to ACRE. It helps gives us a voice in Lansing and Washington, D.C. to help promote and preserve programs that serve our members.

A good example of a program ACRE helps encourage legislators to support is the Rural Utilities Services (RUS). It provides low-interest financing to rural utilities, including Great Lakes Energy. RUS loans not only help pay for power line construction important for maintaining reliable service, but actually help reduce the federal deficit as co-ops replay the loans with interest. In fiscal year 2017 alone, co-op loan repayments netted more than $300 million to the U.S. Treasury.

No money from your bill is contributed to ACRE. Funds come from voluntary contributions by eligible co-op employees and board members. Now co-op members can contribute, too. If you’re someone who sees the value of supporting political leaders who support your co-op, visit the Co-op Owners for Political Action page on our website or call 888-485-2537, ext. 8957, for more information.