Our Energy, Our Future: A Dialogue with America

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Our Energy, Our FutureA Dialogue with America

• Mobilizing 40 million co-op consumers to ask
  their elected representatives tough questions
  about the future of energy.

2
Our Current Energy Situation

• The atmosphere around energy policy is
  politically charged as polarized positions
  dominate the debate
• Today, Americans are sensitive to global climate
  issues
• The availability of affordable, reliable power
  has never been more in doubt
• There is a leadership vacuum in the energy
  debatefinding a balance in meeting energy needs
  and climate goals must be a priority
• There are few honest brokers and the voice of
  the consumer is not being heard

3
The Current Political Landscape

• The presidential election is setting the agenda
  with climate change issues
• Special interest groups are continually lobbying
  Congress on energy and climate change issues
• Consumers are not at the table

4
Each of Us Has a Role to Play In

• Influencing this debate U.S. climate change
  policy may be voted on or even passed soon after
  the new administration and new Congress begin
  their work in 2009
• Making sure elected representatives remember
  their obligations to protect the publics
  interest in maintaining affordable, reliable
  electricity

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Challenges Ahead

• Address the issue of greenhouse gases
• Increase generating capacity by 30 percent to
  keep up with projected demand over the next 20
  years
• Prevent the possibility of an electricity
  shortage, which could be here as soon as 2011 in
  some parts of America
• Keep electricity affordable

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To Be Successful We Need to Do It All

• To meet future demand we must
• Restrain the rate of demand growth through energy
  efficiency
• Increase energy generation from renewable energy
  sources
• Increase our reliance on nuclear energy
• Make our current coal-fired plants more efficient
• Figure out how to capture and store carbon
  dioxide from power plants
• Bring plug-in hybrid electric vehicles to market
• Improve the viability of consumer-generated
  energy

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What We Need

• Leadership and sustained commitment by Congress
• Public-private partnerships
• Our 40 million members/consumers in one unified
  voice demanding legislators strike a balance
  between our electricity needs and climate change
  goals

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We Need True Leadership

• The New Deal
• President Roosevelt set the goal of electrifying
  rural America, bringing the benefit of electric
  light and modern conveniences to the entire
  nation
• The Apollo Program
• To ensure U.S. supremacy in space, President
  Kennedy committed all necessary U.S. talent and
  resources to putting a man on the moon
• Climate Change Policy
• If addressing climate change becomes the great
  mission of our generation, then lawmakers must do
  more than issue arbitrary emissions reduction
  targets for some future datethey must address
  the tough questions and build consensus

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Overview

• Divider Slide

Why Us?
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Electric Cooperatives

• We are 40 million strong. That gives us
  credibility and political power

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Electric Cooperatives

• We are well-positioned to lead the debate about
  our energy needs and influence opinion as we have
  a direct stake in the outcome
• Now is the time to get involvedlater will be too
  late

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Overview

• Divider Slide

Our Energy, Our Future A Dialogue with
Americawww.ourenergy.coop
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Core of the Campaign

• Our campaign is about keeping the lights on and
  electricity affordable
• We are facilitating a consumer movement for a
  balanced responsible energy future as Congress
  sets climate change goals
• We are speaking for consumers not special
  interests

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Objective

• Bring co-op members/owners and their elected
  officials together to talk about what needs to be
  done to ensure a reliable and affordable supply
  of electricity

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Join the Campaign

• Ask your elected officials the following
  questions
• Experts say that our nations growing electricity
  needs will soon go well beyond what renewables,
  conservation and efficiency can provide. What is
  your plan to make sure we have the electricity
  well need in the future?
• What are you doing to fully fund the research
  required to make emissions-free electric plants
  an affordable reality?
• Balancing electricity needs and environmental
  goals will be difficult. How much is all this
  going to increase my electric bill and what will
  you do to make it affordable?

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Join the Campaign
www.ourenergy.coop
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Overview

• Divider Slide

Our Energy, Our Future A Dialogue with
Americawww.ourenergy.coop