In mid-April, Wake Electric joined electric cooperatives from across the nation on Capitol Hill to advocate for policies that impact reliability, affordability, and the future of electric service for members back home in North Carolina.

Wake Electric board members and staff representatives met directly with members of the cooperative’s service territory elected officials to discuss several key issues facing the energy industry. During the visit, the cooperative met with U.S. Senators Ted Budd and Thom Tillis, as well as Representatives Valerie Foushee, Deborah Ross, and Don Davis. Conversations focused on permitting reform, the growing impact of data centers on the electric grid, FEMA disaster response challenges, wildfire mitigation efforts, and continued funding for Rural Utilities Service (RUS) loan programs.

“Our priorities stay the same, no matter who is in office or which party has a majority,” said Kirk Metcalf, vice-president of member services and human resources at Wake Electric. “We’re there to advocate on behalf of our members for policies that protect affordability, strengthen reliability, and support the economic development of the communities we call home.”

Advocacy work is an important but often overlooked part of the cooperative’s efforts to keep electric service reliable, affordable, and safe. At the local level, Wake Electric works to control costs and make innovative improvements that strengthen the reliability of the electric system. But many of the policies that affect the cooperative membership and the energy industry begin in Washington, D.C., or at the state level. That’s why Wake Electric regularly meets with elected leaders to ensure the needs of cooperative members are represented in conversations that affect power costs, grid reliability, disaster response, and future energy investments.

While much of the work happening in Washington can feel removed from everyday life, the policies discussed during these meetings directly impact the affordability and reliability of electricity back home. By joining other North Carolina cooperatives in these conversations, Wake Electric continues to make sure the voices of its members and communities are represented where important decisions are being made.