From the recent launch of its ACRE Co-op Owners for Political Action program, Cherryland Electric now has 109 members signed up, with a current total of $3,672 in contributions, reports Rachel Johnson, Cherryland’s grassroots advocate.
Member response came largely from an ad last fall in Country Lines magazine and an ACRE bill insert. “All of these members will be receiving a thank-you letter and their first ACRE newsletter in early January,” Johnson says. “I feel very good about the launch of our program, and I think 2014 will be a good year for ACRE at Cherryland.”
HomeWorks Tri-County Electric has also opened the ACRE opportunity to its members. “We have 36 members so far, and plan to use the ACRE Co-op Owners newsletter to invite them to our legislative breakfasts in late January,” reports General Manager Mark Kappler. Most of these members have signed up for the $25/year contribution.
The Action Committee for Rural Electrification (ACRE) is a nationwide political action committee that was formerly for co-op employees and directors, but co-ops are now opening the opportunity to members who want to have a voice in issues that affect their electric co-ops and pocketbooks.
