Governmental Affairs

ACRE

Carmie Henry, vice president of governmental affairs for Arkansas Electric Cooperatives Inc. and coordinator for Arkansas ACRE (left), visits with U.S. Rep. Marion Berry, D-Ark., during the 2006 Legislative Rally in Washington, D.C. Through the rally and other avenues, the cooperatives and ACRE keep lawmakers informed of issues of importance to the electric cooperatives.

The Action Committee for Rural Electrification (ACRE) is the grassroots political action committee of the nation's not-for-profit rural electric systems and their members.

ACRE is affiliated with the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), the Arlington, Va.-based membership association for the nation's member-owned electric cooperatives. ACRE represents the interests of the nation's nearly 1,000 not-for-profit electric cooperative systems and their 37 million consumers in rural, suburban and urban areas of the country. ACRE is nonpartisan and makes contributions on the basis of a candidate's support for policies endorsed by NRECA's democratic and grassroots-based resolutions process. Cooperative employees are the direct beneficiaries of NRECA's legislative efforts through ACRE.

ACRE has approximately 30,000 members and is funded by personal contributions from local cooperative managers, directors, employees and their families. The average ACRE contribution is about $42 per year.

Carmie Henry, vice president of governmental affairs for Arkansas Electric Cooperatives Inc. and coordinator for Arkansas ACRE (left), visits with U.S. Rep. John Bozeman, R-Ark., during the 2006 Legislative Rally in Washington, D.C. Through the rally and other avenues, the cooperatives and ACRE keep lawmakers informed of issues of importance to the electric cooperatives.

ACRE was formed in 1966 to be a true grassroots program, made up of activists who understand that political involvement is a necessary ingredient for success in the political process. A portion of Arkansas' contributions are retained by NRECA for distribution in federal elections. ACRE supports congressional candidates, regardless of party, who share public policy goals that are consistent with the mission of member-owned electric cooperatives.

Also, half of the contributions to ACRE are returned to the statewide associations for use in state elections. Here in Arkansas, ACRE provides monetary support to the election campaigns of state and local candidates who support the goals and ideals of the electric cooperative program.

As an ACRE member you will realize that monetary contributions are only one portion of the political process. ACRE members also receive information on important electric cooperative issues through political education workshops and publications. ACRE members also routinely write letters and visit legislators in their district offices to voice concerns on issues important to electric cooperatives.

Arkansas has long been recognized as a leader in the program. Arkansas ACRE ranks ninth in total ACRE membership and has consistently been in the top 10 nationwide.