Managers Message

Charles L. Dawsey
General Manager/Executive Vice President for Benton REA.

“Our Energy, Our Future”
Crisis - A Time for You to Act!

Dear Members:

Identifying the reasons for climate change and addressing them may prove to be one of the most difficult challenges that our nation has faced in recent years.  True leadership to understand and address climate change in an effective and economically prudent manner will require balancing many competing goals.   Keeping electricity, a primary fuel for the economic engine in our country, affordable and reliable is just as much in the public interest as mitigating climate change.

As Congress struggles to find solutions to climate change, we must ensure Americans have the energy they need, at costs they can afford.  This includes energy for their homes, to fuel economic growth and to produce products that are competitive in world markets.

Recently the Federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has indicated they intend to apply provisions of the Clean Air Act to regulate green house gas emission from existing coal and natural gas generating projects.  This would be devastating to the operation of these vital generating resources ultimately resulting in increased costs of electricity to the end consumer.

Here’s what you can do.  Benton REA has organized a grassroots campaign, titled, “Our Energy, Our Future: A Dialogue with America.”  It has one purpose: to encourage open discussion between Benton REA members and their elected officials about the challenge of keeping electricity affordable while addressing climate change.

Please go to www.bentonrea.org and click on the Our Energy button near the bottom of the page.  Enter your address and send Congress your questions or suggestions.  You could start with a message that “urges Congress to take action to block the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) efforts to employ the Clean Air Act to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from stationary sources.”

Hopefully by working together we can convince Congress that affordable, and reliable electric energy is equally as important as addressing climate change.  After all “That is The Cooperative Way.”

Sincerely Yours
Charles L. Dawsey