Our mission—to engage in conversations with lawmakers on important issues that impact our rural communities, and specifically on our ability to deliver reliable and affordable electricity.
These critical issues were addressed with legislators in 2019:
1. Needs of rural communities in infrastructure package
- Coops support bipartisan efforts to develop a robust infrastructure package that improves the economic outlook in America’s rural communities.
- Lawmakers should recognize and support electric co-op modernization efforts and support programs that enable broadband access for all Americans.
- Electric co-ops support policies and investments that promote electrification throughout the economy.
2. Tax law change needed to protect electric co-op tax-exempt status
- Recent changes to the Internal Revenue Code created an unintended consequence for rural electric cooperatives. Government grants may now be considered non-member income.
- As community-focused, member organizations, electric cooperatives must comply with the 85 percent-15 percent income test. No more than 15 percent of gross income may come from non-member sources.
- Congress should take action to amend Section 501(c)(12) to retain the tax-exempt status of nearly 900 rural electric co-ops. This will allow the full use of federal, state or local grants to benefit their members.
These critical issues were addressed with legislators in 2019:
1. State Disaster Assistance
- From January 2006 to January 2018, cooperatives were eligible for claims for qualifying damages.
- Electric Cooperatives are themselves emergency responders and play a critical role in restoring critical services following disasters.
- Changing legislation to allow electric cooperatives to qualify for these funds will avoid cumbersome processes of submitting claims through other means and provide clarity that cooperatives are eligible in the future.
2. Town of Washington Island Budget Request
- Provide up to $1 million in each year of the next two year's budgets for one-time payments to help offset expenses to repair and replace power infrastructure serving the island residents.
- The coop already carries a considerable amount of debt and its survival is questionable should something significant occur in the future without these funds.
- Based on recent data, Door County is the state's seventh-ranked tourist destination by visitor spending.
2019 NRECA Legislative Conference
More than 65 representatives from Wisconsin electric cooperatives, including PPCS, joined over 2,000 delegates from around the country who attended the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C., on April 9-11. Their mission—to engage in conversations with lawmakers on important issues that impact our rural communities, and specifically on our ability to deliver reliable and affordable electricity.
