Rural Prosperity through Public Power
Farm organizations led the rural electrification movement more than fifty years ago, helping to link isolated communities with power that increased their ability to fully participate in the 20th century prosperity of our nation. Our electric cooperatives have provided leadership and quality service over the years. Rural electrification has sustained communities and has helped make American agriculture the world’s most productive.
Today, rural communities throughout the intermountain west are facing economic and social challenges that threaten their very survival in the 21st century. With shortages of available water and global pressure on crop prices, many communities are facing a bleak future and declining populations, They need renewed cooperation and sustained leadership. Rural electric coops have a vital role to play.
We believe that renewable energy can be the next great crop for our region.
The Intermountain Harvesting Energy Network is working toward rural prosperity through renewable energy development and energy conservation. Along with traditional food and fiber crops, fuel can help spark a 21st century rural renaissance.
We are working with rural electric cooperative boards of directors and their dedicated employees to help lead this economic development initiative by advancing the development of renewable energy technologies. Production of transportation fuels, conversion of agricultural residues to energy, and distributed sources of electricity generation are new sources of future wealth for rural America.
We are not asking electric cooperatives to support renewable energy by sacrificing electric reliability or paying much more for their power. Despite well-known barriers to incorporating wind and other distributed electric generation resources, a growing number of cooperatives and generation and transmission associations are finding solutions.
We look forward to working with the coops to help develop new energy crops that can lead to a brighter future for rural America.
