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Commentary Thank you, Rep. Frank Lucas A


Chris Meyers General Manager, Oklahoma Association of Electric Cooperatives


piece of


fter nearly four years of nego- tiations between Democrats and


Republicans, the United States Congress passed a new fi ve-year Farm Bill. President Obama signed the measure into law on February 7. The chief architects of this


legislation were Senate Agriculture


Committee Chairman, Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and our own U.S. Representative, Frank Lucas (R- OK), who serves as Chairman for the House Committee on Agriculture. The task they faced in moving this controversial but important measure through both houses of Congress was challenging. But diffi cult challenges are nothing new to Rep. Lucas. As you’ll fi nd in an accompanying story on page 18 of this issue, Lucas has faced challenges before, whether on his family farm in northwest Oklahoma, or in the political arena. And each time, he’s been on the right side of what’s best for the people of Oklahoma, and for agriculture. Electric cooperatives had important provisions included in the Farm Bill, too – some that are vital to the Rural Utility Service (RUS). I’ve tried to sum- marize those key provisions below: ✓ RESPA – The Farm Bill includes authorization for the popular “Rural Energy Savings Program Act,” or RESPA, a program that co-ops and mem- bers of Congress have long supported. RESPA is a voluntary program that helps lower energy bills by


promoting energy-saving improvements to homes and buildings in rural communities. This new RUS program would authorize $75 million in zero-per- cent interest loans to co-ops in order to offer or expand effi ciency programs, allowing relending to consumer-members for effi ciency improvements at low-interest, and the repayment of these loans through savings on electric bills. ✓ RUS Baseload Lending – RUS would once


again be allowed to make loans for baseload elec- tricity generation such as coal, nuclear, or natural gas. The Bill language allows RUS borrowers to pay a supplemental risk premium for baseload loans. ✓ Guaranteed Underwriter Loan Program – The Guaranteed Underwriter Loan Program is now ex- tended through the year 2018. ✓ Rail Transportation – The new Farm Bill con- tinues and updates a study of Rural Transportation issues. That study will continue to address the im- pact of railroad shipping costs on the rural econo- my, as well as including a study of waterway transportation options for the fi rst time. ✓ RUS Broadband Program – The House and


Senate proposals reached good compromise lan- guage on the RUS Rural Broadband Program. Many problematic provisions were improved upon, and the new language contained in the Farm Bill should result in a more workable program. As always, Lucas had the best interests of


Oklahomans in mind during the House and Senate negotiations. We applaud both his tenacity and dedication in getting the new Farm Bill passed. Thank you, Rep. Frank Lucas!


Oklahoma co-op leader says ‘Farewell’ It always amazes me how


their talking notes.


Joe Harris President, Oklahoma Association of Electric Cooperatives


quickly time fl ies. My elders told me that time moves quicker the older you get, and I can now attest to this axiom. While brainstorming my final column


for


Oklahoma Living, I struggled with conveying a meaningful message. Do I write about the


future of rural electric cooperatives; encourage in- dividual participation by member-readers; or sim- ply say ‘So long?’ My conclusion was to do a little of each.


Kay Electric Cooperative just fi nished its annual


Youth Tour Contest in which we select two high school juniors to attend the Rural Electric Youth Tour in Washington, D.C. In today’s world, unfor- tunately, most media outlets only report the bad news; very little is spoken about the positive. Watching these young people during our contest gave me great hope for the future. However, it’s going to be a different world for them. I noticed they didn’t bring written notes on cards or paper to the contest; instead, they used smartphones for


4 WWW.OK-LIVING.COOP


Let me tell you, if you are not already on Facebook or some other type of social media, you need to be thinking about going there. While providing reli- able and affordable electricity will always be our primary responsibility, information technology is driving the future of your cooperative in wondrous ways. The march of time has taken founders and build-


ers of our cooperatives away. It is easy to view co- operatives as just another utility, but we’re not! You are a member-owner of your co-op, and you have a say in how your co-op is governed. It does not take much time to vote for your local board of directors or participate in your co-op’s annual meeting. Please take time to get involved at your local cooperative. Shortly after this column is published, I will be retiring after a 36-year career. It is hard to fi nd words to convey how meaningful this time has been in my life. My gratitude to the rural electric family is profound; the rewards of my career are not mea- sured in monetary values, but in great relationships developed over time with those associated with this program. I will be forever grateful.


Oklahoma Association of Electric Cooperatives


Chris Meyers, General Manager Joe Harris, President


Jimmy Taylor, Vice-President Kendall Beck, Secretary Gary McCune, Treasurer


Staff


Sid Sperry, Director of PR & Communications sksperry@oaec.coop


Anna Politano, Managing Editor editor@ok-living.coop


Larry Skoch, Advertising Manager lskoch@ok-living.coop


Christy Johnson, Offi ce Manager cjohnson@oaec.coop


Kirbi Mills, Accountant/Offi ce Manager Asst. kmills@oaec.coop


Hayley Leatherwood, Multimedia Specialist hleatherwood@ok-living.coop


Harriet Orleans, Intern intern@oaec.coop


Editorial, Advertising and General Offi ces


P.O. Box 54309, Oklahoma City, OK 73154-1309 Phone (405) 478-1455


Oklahoma Living online: www.ok-living.coop Subscriptions


$3.12 per year for rural electric cooperative members.


$6.00 per year for non-members. Cooperative Members: Report change of


address to your local rural electric cooperative. Non-Cooperative Members: Send address


changes to Oklahoma Living, P.O. Box 54309, Oklahoma City, OK 73154-1309.


Oklahoma Living (ISSN 1064-8968),


USPS 407-040, is published monthly for consumer-members of Oklahoma’s rural electric cooperatives by the Oklahoma Association of Electric Cooperatives, 2325 E. I-44 Service Road,


P.O. Box 54309, Oklahoma City, OK 73154-1309. Circulation this issue: 316,450


Periodical postage paid at Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The Oklahoma Association of Electric


Cooperatives is a statewide service organization for the following electric cooperatives: Alfalfa, Arkansas Valley, Caddo, Canadian Valley,


Central Rural, Choctaw, Cimarron, Cookson Hills, Cotton, East Central Oklahoma, Harmon, Indian, KAMO Power, Kay, Kiamichi, Kiwash, Lake Region, Northeast Oklahoma, Northfork,


Northwestern, Oklahoma, Ozarks, People’s, Red River Valley, Rural, Southeastern, Southwest Rural, Tri-County, Verdigris Valley, and Western


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