I first wrote about ACRE last year. ACRE stands for Action Committee for Rural Electrification. Formed in 1966, ACRE is the political action committee for the nation’s rural electric cooperatives serving 42 million people in 47 states. There are approximately 31,000 electric cooperative members donating to ACRE annually. The average contribution is $44.

Last year, was the first time that we opened up ACRE contributions to every cooperative member. I am happy to report that in 2014, 141 Cherryland Electric Cooperative members joined ACRE with donations ranging from $25 to $100. Thus far, Cherryland members lead all Michigan cooperatives in their support of ACRE. We hope to see this continue as we strive to grow this program in 2015.

Why is ACRE important? ACRE represents the needs of the average electric cooperative member/consumer in an era where energy policy debates often ignore the homeowner or small business owner at the end of the line.

In the Michigan legislature, 2015 will be a big year for energy issues. Public Act 295 was one of the biggest pieces of energy legislation ever passed in Michigan back in 2008. PA 295 expires this year. Our elected officials will once again be debating the issues of renewable energy, conservation and choice. Due to term limits, many of these legislators were not in office in 2008 and therefore, they will have little knowledge of energy issues.

Getting to know the members of the House and Senate takes time and money. A small campaign contribution can go a long way towards garnering the attention necessary to educate and inform legislative decision makers about our goals of reliability and affordability.

We have issues at the national level as well. There is legislation pending on water heaters, energy conservation, endangered species and a range of environmental issues. While our story of affordability combined with environmental stewardship will always leave an impression in a Congressional office, the ability to leave a contribution that is literally from the people who will be directly impacted by their decisions is powerful.

Some will say that they don’t believe in lobbying and political action committees. In my opinion, PACS are a transparent form of political involvement because they are regulated by the Federal Election Commission, as well as state and local agencies. Unlike Super PACs and other outside groups, ACRE is required to report receipts and contributions on a regular basis and those reports are available at fec.gov. I believe that ACRE is a very effective way for ordinary citizens to have a real impact.

Please consider joining other Cherryland members, employees and board members by making a contribution to ACRE. It can be a one time donation of your choice or a monthly contribution of as little as $2.08. Simply call our office and tell us your account number and amount. We will do the rest and keep you informed along the way.