Rural Electric Cooperatives
Rural Electric Cooperatives (RECs) have transformed the lives of millions of rural Americans since their creation in the New Deal of the 1930s. However, much of that promise has been lost – now rural democratic movements must reclaim their cooperatives to spread democracy, improve people’s lives, and act on the climate crisis.
Shareable is a working partner of Rural Power Coalition, where we have led communications since 2021. Through diligent advocacy and lobbying work around the Inflation Reduction Act, the Rural Power Coalition and other rural advocates helped win the biggest investment for rural electrification in US history.
Key provisions in the IRA include:
- $9.7 Billion Dollars of USDA Assistance for Electric Cooperatives for a voluntary program for rural electric cooperatives to make investments in renewable energy.
- $1 Billion Dollars in additional funding to cover the cost of loans related to Renewable Energy.
- A direct pay option for clean energy tax credits to allow electric co-ops to be eligible. This has leveled the playing field for electric co-ops by allowing them to receive clean energy incentives just like private utilities.
The Rural Electric Cooperative Co-lab (Spring 2025)
A free weekly webinar series to equip member-owners and supportive organizations to modernize and democratize local co-op utilities.
The Rural Power Coalition and Shareable are co-hosting the Rural Electric Cooperative Co-lab in March and April 2025. The Co-lab will feature eight (hour-long) weekly training sessions.
This learning and action lab is designed to mobilize supportive organizations and rural electric cooperative (REC) member-owners to reclaim their RECs to spread democracy, improve people’s lives, and act on the climate crisis.
Following the Co-lab, our team will produce a comprehensive digital organizing toolkit and self-paced online course to empower member-owners to take action at the local level.
The Rural Power Coalition (RPC) is leading the national movement for rural electric cooperative democracy. RPC is led by place-based organizations representing electric cooperative member-owners across the country.
Learn more about the Rural Power Coalition.
Shareable is co-producing a video series about Rural Electric Cooperatives with the Story of Stuff Project for RPC. Check out our animated short, “Power to the People: The Story of Rural Electric Cooperatives.”
Watch all the videos in the series.
Shareable has been publishing stories about Rural Electric Cooperatives since 2017. Check out our timeline stretching back to the New Deal in 1936!
Read all articles in the series.
