More than 150 representatives from all 26 of North Carolina's electric cooperatives convened in Raleigh to meet with their legislators and discuss policy issues important to electric co-ops, their members, and communities. More than 100 state senators and representatives participated in the event. 

"The Rally in Raleigh magnifies the priorities of electric cooperative members," said Jon T. Locklear, LREMC President and CEO. "We engage with legislative leaders and local officials to share our members' perspectives and provide updates about the cooperatives' work in our communities." 

Cooperative leaders demonstrated the cooperatives' voluntary pursuit of innovative energy solutions by sharing examples of innovation that address member and community needs for enhanced reliability and access to new energy opportunities. Examples included microgrids, energy storage projects, smart thermostat programs, and cooperative capabilities for actively managing these distributed energy resources. 

Co-op leaders stressed that any future energy policy should support ongoing efforts to innovate for co-op members and maintain the electric grid's reliability, affordability, and sustainability.