NEWS RELEASES

The following guest column appeared in the Cedar Rapids Gazette on October 7, 2023, in celebration of Iowa Co-op Month.

Dave Holm is executive director of the Iowa Institute for Cooperatives. Chuck Soderberg is executive vice president and general manager of the Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives. Murray Williams is president and CEO of the Iowa Credit Union League.

Iowa is known for its sprawling fields, tight-knit communities and a spirit of collaboration that has long been a hallmark of its success. While often associated with agriculture and its iconic cornfields, the state boasts a different kind of growth story — one driven by cooperatives.

Many Iowans associate cooperatives with agriculture; however, co-ops also include rural electric service, credit unions, rural telephone, farm credit, petroleum and more. Co-ops are organizations owned and democratically controlled by their members. In fact, nearly one out of every two Iowans is a member of a cooperative.

Agriculture is often intertwined with cooperative principles. From farm and grain supply cooperatives providing farmers with resources and equipment to cooperatives specializing in agribusiness and food production, co-ops empower farmers with collective bargaining power, access to essential resources and sustainable farming practices that ensure both economic viability and environmental stewardship.

Cooperatives also play a pivotal role in keeping rural communities vibrant and alive. Rural cooperatives extend essential services such as energy, financial services, connectivity and health care to regions that might otherwise be overlooked. Collectively, Iowa cooperatives pay more than $75 million in property taxes to Iowa communities each year.

The following opinion was published in the October 6, 2023, edition of the Washington Times. 

Randy Feenstra represents Iowa’s 4th Congressional District. Chuck Soderberg is executive vice president of the Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives.

Supply chain delays. Disorderly retirements of dispatchable electric generation. Complex regulations on power plant emissions. Regional warnings about a lack of generation capacity to cover electric demand. Permitting delays for needed electric transmission infrastructure.

Any one of these issues is enough to seriously affect the reliability of electric service. But all of these scenarios are playing out simultaneously across the nation, and a perfect storm may be on the horizon.

Electric reliability across America is in serious jeopardy, and it’s unacceptable.

More than 25 representatives from Iowa’s electric cooperatives traveled to the Capitol earlier this week to advocate for their co-op members. While in Washington, D.C., the group attended high-level briefings on key issues impacting the electric industry and met with all six members of Iowa’s Congressional Delegation to discuss priorities and concerns.

Advocates shared concerns that could impact electric cooperatives’ ability to provide reliable and affordable power, including federal EPA mandates that may force electric generation plants to shut down prematurely. Additionally, the co-op representatives talked about continued supply chain challenges and how they impact day-to-day operations.

 “These legislative visits in D.C. are valuable opportunities to connect with our members of Congress and their staff. They learn more about our rural Iowa priorities and ask how they can help us in our cooperative mission to power lives and empower communities,” remarked Chuck Soderberg, executive vice president and general manager of IAEC.

Iowa’s locally owned and governed electric cooperatives contribute greatly to the state economy, according to a recent economic impact study produced by Goss & Associates. For the five years ending in 2021, the study found that Iowa electric co-ops generated a total impact on the state of $4.8 billion, produced $688 million in wages and salaries, directly supported 1,961 jobs, generated self-employment income of $79.5 million and paid $144.7 million in state and local taxes.

“This study confirms what we have long known; electric cooperatives contribute greatly to the state’s economic progress, especially throughout rural Iowa,” remarked Chuck Soderberg, executive vice president and general manager of the Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives (IAEC). “Powering lives and empowering communities are core to our cooperative mission.”

Earlier this summer, the Touchstone Energy Cooperatives of Iowa sponsored their third annual Shine the Light contest to highlight our cooperative commitment to community. During the month of June, member-consumers and employees of Iowa’s locally owned electric cooperatives were invited to nominate volunteers in their communities who are working to improve quality of life.

We received 126 nominations from across the state, highlighting the work of many incredible Iowans. Three winners were chosen by our judges, and they each received a $2,500 donation to their local charity.

38 high school students, sponsored by Iowa’s locally owned electric cooperatives, traveled to Washington, D.C., from June 17-23 for the 2023 Electric Cooperative Youth Tour. The Iowa students joined with hundreds of other student leaders from across the nation to learn more about cooperatives, American history and government. Iowa’s electric cooperatives were the first ones to send students to Washington, D.C., 65 years ago in 1958; over the decades, hundreds of Iowa student leaders have gained perspective about their role as an American citizen through this program.

The Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives (IAEC), the trade association for Iowa’s electric cooperatives, conducted its 2022 Annual Meeting at the Sheraton West Des Moines Conference Center on December 1 and 2 with more than 350 registered attendees. Board directors and employees from Iowa’s locally owned electric co-ops received informative updates from the IAEC board and staff in addition to learning about industry trends and current events.

“Our theme of People. Power. Purpose. really sums up what electric cooperatives are all about,” remarked Roger Solomonson of Heartland Power Cooperative, who has completed his first year as IAEC board president. "Iowa's electric cooperatives should be proud of what their statewide association has accomplished on their behalf this year."

IAEC Executive Vice President and General Manager Chuck Soderberg covered several topics during his executive report including cybersecurity resources available to member co-ops and the importance of embracing an “all-of-the-above” power generation strategy to ensure reliability for member-consumers.

Guided by our cooperative commitment to community, Iowa's electric cooperatives have a long history of supporting students in the communities we serve through scholarships and leadership opportunities. We’ve also been sending deserving high school students to our nation’s capital every summer for years as part of the national Electric Cooperative Youth Tour program.

Iowa’s electric co-ops are pleased to once again offer a virtual opportunity for rural students to learn more about advocacy, electric cooperative career opportunities and the cooperative business model with a three-part webinar series in October. The Iowa Youth Leadership Academy is open to any high school student in our service area and they are invited to register at www.IowaYouthTour.com by October 1.

Earlier this summer, the Touchstone Energy Cooperatives of Iowa sponsored its second statewide contest to highlight our cooperative commitment to community. During the month of June, the Shine the Light contest invited member-consumers and employees of Iowa’s locally owned electric cooperatives to nominate deserving volunteers in their communities.

 “The Shine the Light contest gave our members and employees a unique opportunity to show their appreciation for family, friends and neighbors who are making a positive difference in the community,” remarked Erin Campbell, director of communications for the Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives.

68 nominations were submitted from across the state, highlighting the work of many incredible Iowans. Three volunteers were selected as winners from the entries received.

Nearly 200 employees and elected directors from Iowa’s locally owned rural electric cooperatives (RECs) came to the Iowa State Capitol on March 22 to advocate for important issues during the annual “REC Day on the Hill” event. “Our advocacy day on the hill is an important opportunity to personally touch base with our elected officials and share a local perspective on issues that impact rural Iowa and rural economic development,” remarked Roger Solomonson, board president of IAEC. 

Specifically, advocates talked to legislators about a digital sales tax inequity that Iowa’s electric cooperatives hope to resolve before the 2022 Legislative Session ends. The inequity stems from an unintentional error made in 2018 legislation that requires Iowa electric co-ops to pay a new 6% sales and use tax on digital goods and services, even though investor-owned utilities are exempt. Since the law went into effect in 2019, the IAEC estimates that Iowa electric co-ops have collectively paid $300,000 or more annually in taxes, resulting in roughly $1 million of unintentional taxes paid by rural Iowans through their energy bills.