Sept. 28, 2009

Missouri electric co-op members send
50,000 messages to senators

Representatives of Missouri's electric cooperatives join U.S. Senator Kit Bond in stressing the need to keep electricity affordable for Missouri consumers. The co-op leaders presented Bond with signed postcards from 50,000 Missourians concerned about the impact of proposed "cap and trade" legislation. From left, are Barry Hart, executive vice president and CEO of the Association of Missouri Electric Cooperatives; Don McQuitty, CEO of N.W. Electric Power Cooperative, Cameron; Bond and David Klindt, vice president of AMEC.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (September 28, 2009) - With the U.S. Senate poised to begin debate on climate change legislation, Barry Hart today personally delivered 50,000 postcards from electric cooperative consumer-members to Missouri's senators on Capitol Hill.

The cards were signed by concerned electric cooperative members from the pages of Rural Missouri magazine or at cooperative annual meetings, fairs, festivals, the State Fair and the Tour of Missouri bike race.

These are in addition to more than 600,000 e-mails sent to Congress by Missouri cooperative members through the Our Energy, Our Future campaign, which was enacted in 2008 to give rural people a say in the climate change debate. Nationwide, 2.6 million messages have been sent, all urging elected officials to protect consumers from rate shock.

Joining representatives from 25 other statewide associations, Hart urged Sens. Bond and McCaskill to work with electric cooperatives to ensure climate change legislation that is fair, affordable and achievable. "We want to make sure our members' voices get heard," said Hart, CEO of the Association of Missouri Electric Cooperatives "The thousands of cards are tangible evidence that cooperative consumers are paying attention and have real concerns about this legislation."

From left, AMEC CEO Barry Hart delivers boxes of postcards to U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, along with Don McQuitty, CEO of N.W. Electric Power Cooperative, Cameron, and David Klindt, vice president of AMEC.

Adds Glenn English, CEO of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association: "The response from cooperative members has been overwhelming. Boxes on top of boxes on top of boxes of signed postcards - that is what a genuine grassroots campaign looks like."

Our Energy, Our Future is a national grassroots effort by rural electric cooperatives to engage consumer-members in a conversation with elected officials about how we meet climate change goals while keeping electricity reliable and affordable.

More than 500,000 postcards, the first wave in an ongoing nationwide postcard campaign, were delivered to Senate offices today. Consumers can still get involved by logging on to www.ourenergy.coop or by enquiring at their local electric cooperative.

(Contact: Jim McCarty, 573-659-3402)