In April, Cherryland CEO Rachel Johnson, Executive Administrative Assistant Shannon Beery, and Board President Gabe Schneider spent time advocating for the needs of electric cooperative members on Capitol Hill, alongside 1,500 leaders from electric co-ops across the country.

During the visit, they talked one-on-one with Michigan legislators to highlight a couple of key priorities:

1. FEMA Reform: Electric cooperatives are supporting bipartisan FEMA reform legislation aimed at making disaster recovery faster, clearer, and more predictable for rural utilities and the members they serve. The legislation would streamline reimbursement timelines, improve access to resiliency funding, and recognize the financing costs utilities carry while waiting for FEMA decisions. For members, that means faster recovery after severe weather and less pressure on electric rates when big storms hit.

2. Permitting Reform: There’s a lot of red tape when it comes to the federal permitting process for power plants and transmission lines. The process can delay power projects for years and drives up the cost of those projects at a time we need power supply to keep up with growing demand. For members, that means keeping power projects on track so we can keep the lights on.