“All politics is local.” This observation by the late Thomas P. "Tip" O'Neill, Jr., former Speaker of the House of Representatives, means that even national politics have a local impact, and people care most about issues that directly affect them. Indirectly, this famous adage underscores the importance and value of local politics.
At Access Energy Cooperative, we think it’s critical to develop and cultivate relationships with local legislators because they craft, introduce and vote on legislation that impacts the local business climate, the environment and quality of life for our communities. That’s why we work closely with our local elected officials. After all, our purpose is to provide safe, reliable, affordable energy, but our mission is to help our communities thrive.
Access Energy Cooperative is a local business that powers economic development and prosperity for our region. As a cooperative, we have deep roots here, and we listen closely to our members to better understand the needs of the communities. Our leadership, board members and employees live and work right here in the communities we serve.
We strive to be an advocate for our communities, ensuring that local legislators know, understand and act on the issues that are important to our area.
Providing industry guidance and expertise
As a practical matter, we recognize that most legislators are “generalists,” yet they vote on a wide range of issues. Their expertise may not include the changing energy industry, which is why Access Energy Cooperative provides guidance and expertise from subject matter experts who’ve been in the energy industry for many years.
Today’s energy landscape is an increasingly complex topic covering not only the traditional engineering and vegetation management aspects of the industry, but also encompasses technology, cybersecurity, the electrification of the transportation sector and more.
Our experts provide briefings and backgrounders to legislators, committees and staff, and we offer expert testimony for hearings and other legislative or regulatory meetings or gatherings. And because we’re involved in economic development and we know local community leaders, we can provide insight on how issues and policies under discussion might impact our region.
By Anne Prince