Co-ops and Congress: Working Together for Our Energy Future By: Addie Armato America has an energy crisis too big to ignore. Experts warn that unless we make more electricity available soon, some regions of the country may face power shortages within the next two years. And because of a number of economic and political factors, electric costs have climbed 40 percent since 2002 and are projected to go even higher. We need an answer right now to keep electric bills affordable. Over the last year, consumers like you have joined the “Our Energy, Our Future”™ grassroots awareness campaign to educate elected officials on the need to craft energy policies that will support a diverse mix of power generation while keeping energy affordable. More than 1.56 million messages have been sent to Congress through the campaign, asking three simple questions: 1. How will Congress help us meet the rising future demand for electricity? 2. How will Congress support the development of technology needed to reduce carbon dioxide emissions? 3. How will Congress make sure electricity remains affordable? Today we’re continuing our efforts with one key question: Is Congress willing to work with electric cooperatives like Pointe Coupee Electric Membership Corporation to ensure we have reliable power at a price our consumers can afford? It’s a simple question, one that can be answered with a resounding ‘Yes!’ or ‘No.’ The answer is critical to our future. Ask your U.S. representative and senators if they will work with electric cooperatives to develop policies that will keep electricity affordable. Co-ops were created to make safe, reliable, and affordable electricity available for all Americans. We take our role seriously, and have resources in place to help lawmakers find ways to address our nation’s energy crisis without causing costs to rise beyond your means. We can find the right solution together. Let Congress know where you stand in this critical debate. We thank those of you who have already started a dialogue with your elected officials through the campaign, and ask that you keep that conversation going. If you are interested in sending a letter to your elected officials in congress, please come by Pointe Coupee Electric’s office during normal business hours. We have letters addressing these issues. All you have to do is insert your personal information, sign the letter and we will mail it to your elected official for you. Also, visit www.ourenergy.coop today, and tell your family and friends to do the same. We’ll all be impacted by future energy policy changes; now is the time to work together and take a stand for affordability. We simply can’t afford not to. Source: Straight Talk If you would like more information on energy efficiency ideas, Pointe Coupee Electric can help you by providing brochures and other literature. We also offer residential energy efficiency seminars for groups of eight or more. If you would like more information about the seminars, please call the Member Services Department at 225-638-3751.