It’s a spring ritual. And no, I’m not talking about a multi-million-dollar Wisconsin supreme court race—though after the last few years, I understand why your mind might go there. Each spring, the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), the national trade group for electric cooperatives throughout the country, welcomes nearly 2,000 members to gather at its legislative conference. Board directors, CEOs and managers, and senior cooperative staff come together for what is essentially our largest, most coordinated advocacy effort of the year. It’s our chance to sit down face-to-face with our House and Senate delegation and walk them through the issues that matter most to electric cooperatives back home.
This year, close to 30 individuals from Wisconsin’s electric cooperatives made the trip to Capitol Hill, carrying a unified message on several key priorities: modernizing the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), increasing Rural Utility Services (RUS) Electric Loan Program Funding, seeking permitting reform that will unlock domestic energy investment, and urging Senate passage of the Fix Our Forests Act to help mitigate wildfire risk. With the 2026 election fast approaching, time is short, and your cooperative leaders made it clear that Congress must act before the clock runs out on this legislative session.
Recent late‑winter storms across Wisconsin and the upper Midwest—most recently in March and April—made FEMA reform especially urgent. In my February column, I wrote about the March 2025 storm that pummeled Washington Island Electric Cooperative and several Michigan cooperatives, leaving behind severe ice damage. Washington Island restored power in six days, but Great Lakes Energy and Presque Isle Electric & Gas in Michigan faced outages lasting up to 20 days and damages in the hundreds of millions. FEMA’s initial denial of Category F Public Assistance was a major blow. After sustained advocacy by NRECA and Michigan cooperatives, and at the direction of President Trump, FEMA reversed course and approved funding for permanent infrastructure repairs.
Stories like these are what our cooperative leaders brought to Capitol Hill. They serve as powerful reminders that FEMA is the primary source of disaster‑recovery funding for electric cooperatives. That’s why we urged Congress to pass the bipartisan FEMA Act of 2025, HR 4669. The bill would streamline the federal disaster declaration process, speed up reimbursements, and invest in more resilient systems before the next major storm hits. For cooperatives that must restore power quickly and responsibly, these reforms aren’t abstract policy; they’re essential tools.
Electricity demand continues to rise, and it won’t slow down anytime soon. That growth requires more grid capacity, more transmission, and stronger reliability. It’s why permitting reform was another major focus of our meetings. The federal permitting process can affect how your electric cooperative deals with wildfire mitigation, vegetation management, power plant and power line construction and maintenance, and a whole host of other activities.
Your cooperative’s employees and board members live, play, and work in the same communities as you do. They care about the same things you care about. Environmental reviews and public input are essential, but endless litigation drives up costs and threatens the reliability and affordability that consumer‑members depend on. That’s why cooperative leaders are asking Congress for a permitting system that is transparent, predictable, and timely—without compromising safety.
I’m continually impressed by the Wisconsin cooperative leaders who travel to Washington to advocate on your behalf. They are informed, experienced, and deeply committed to the communities they serve. The relationships they build with our congressional delegation matter, and their advocacy plays a meaningful role in ensuring that your electricity remains safe, affordable, and reliable. Their work is a reminder that cooperative values don’t stop at the end of your cooperative’s service territory; they extend all the way to the nation’s capital.