Leading Light
A champion of rural electric coops, Bill Patrie is helping communities in North Dakota reclaim their power to address an energy crisis.
Clean and renewable energy
One Big Betrayal of a Bill
Loss of healthcare coverage, increased insurance premiums, longer emergency room wait times, smoggy air, higher energy prices, and a deepening hunger crisis are all what we can expect from the budget reconciliation bill. by Michael Nelson and Sarah Hunkins, WORC’s … Continued
Winning a David and Goliath battle
This article was originally published in the Western Organizing Review. Dakota Rural Action’s work against carbon pipelines shows how people power can beat big moneyed interests. By Eric Warren In 2021, farmer and longtime Dakota Rural Action (DRA) member Ed … Continued
A Devastating Bill Becomes Law
Our best hope for turning our country around lies in rural grassroots organizing. We have to step it up. By Dr. Barbara Vasquez, WORC board chair In my lifetime, there have been few national events that have saddened me more … Continued
WORC members push back as Trump administration moves to reopen coal leasing in the Powder River Basin
Despite energy markets rapidly moving toward cleaner, cheaper sources, the Trump administration is steering in the opposite direction. On April 8th, President Trump signed an executive order aimed at expanding coal leasing on public land and minerals. The EO directs … Continued
New ERA funding for renewable energy awarded to western rural electric co-ops
Billions in federal funding are set to help western co-ops add reliable, inexpensive renewable energy. On September 5th, 2024, the federal government announced the first round of funding from the Inflation Reduction Act’s (IRA) Empowering Rural America (New ERA) program. … Continued
Direct Pay tax credits promise to add flexibility and efficiency for rural electric co-ops trying to add renewable energy to their grids
The elective pay provisions in the IRA offer rural electric co-ops, municipalities, and other entities an opportunity to receive direct cash funding to build renewable energy projects. An often overlooked provision of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) that can have … Continued
“Power to the People” shows the history of rural electric co-ops and their power to shape the clean energy revolution.
New animated short film shows how rural electric cooperatives with over 42 million members can lead the transition to clean energy. This week, WORC as part of the Rural Power Coalition (RPC) celebrated the launch of a new animated short … Continued
Dakota Rural Action wins solar battle against investor-owned Black Hills Energy
New report commissioned by DRA exposed Black Hills Energy’s faulty arguments for charging homeowners extra fees for installing rooftop solar. In late 2023, Dakota Rural Action used data to successfully fight a proposed fee on rooftop solar in the Black … Continued
Rural Electric Co-ops are critical to fighting climate change. Here’s why.
42 million Americans are members of rural electric co-ops, offering a powerful (and democratic) opportunity to shift the US electricity grid to renewables and harness funding for energy efficiency. Often, rural communities are left out of decisions that influence their … Continued