Rural Missouri - October 2021 - 28

ASSOCIATED ELECTRIC
Member-owned,
member-focused
Associated Electric's focus on member-owners' priorities remains clear
info@ruralmissouri.coop
by Mark Viguet |
I
n an unpredictable year for energy companies, the
leadership at Associated Electric Cooperative continues
to focus on reliable and affordable electricity for its six
transmission owners, their 51 local distribution cooperatives
and the 2.1 million members who receive electricity
from the three-tiered system.
Associated was created by members in 1961 to ensure
member control of electric supply. Throughout its history,
the goals of Associated and its member-owners haven't
changed.
" Our mission to provide an economical and reliable
power supply has served us well throughout decades of
change in the power generation industry, " says John Killgore,
a board member for United Electric Cooperative and
vice president of Associated's board of directors. " We never
forget that focus. "
Climate change proposals won't change member focus
Evaluating federal climate change proposals to reduce
or eliminate carbon is among Associated's top priorities as
the Biden administration seeks to quickly and fundamentally
change how energy companies generate electricity. The
current administration's goals propose to reduce carbon
from electric generation 50% by 2030 and envision net-zero
carbon by 2035.
As our nation continues to debate, one thing is clear: Associated's
member-led board of directors and staff believe
in putting members and their needs first.
28 RURAL MISSOURI | OCTOBER 2021
Rush to renewables creates concerns
" As a member-owned and governed wholesale power
generation cooperative, we are alarmed by a rush to renewables
without technologies available today to ensure reliable
power at affordable prices, " says David Tudor, Associated
Electric's CEO and general manager. " Member-owners
clearly prioritize reliability and affordability in the electricity
they depend on. We cannot sacrifice reliable electric supply
or affordable rates. "
Associated's generation sources have evolved through
the years. The primary way Associated preserves reliability
and affordability for members is with a balance of generation
sources. By maintaining a diverse mix - coal, natural
gas, wind and hydropower - the cooperative has options to
ensure reliable power at a competitive cost.
Member reliability is not for sale
Aggressive climate change proposals from Washington,
D.C., challenge Associated's balanced strategy.
" Today, there are attempts to get energy companies like
ours to take a deal for money and agree voluntarily to close
fossil fuel plants and replace them with renewables, " Tudor
says. " We don't see that as a path that preserves reliability,
so we cannot support that approach. Our members' reliability
is not for sale. "
Tudor points out that since 2005, Associated's carbon
emissions have been reduced more than 33%. " We take
generating electricity in responsible ways seriously. Safeguarding
the environment is not a recent development for
Rural Missouri - October 2021

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