Energy Coops: People Conserving Together

When Franklin Roosevelt 75 years ago signed into law the Civilian Conservation Corps in my hometown he was challenged by his critics. FDR responded that when the unemployed started to plant trees and become vested in other environmental improvements they become shareholders in saving our land. Co-ops are shareholders creating an economy of scale and spirit to improve their home.

Fostering energy co-ops creates economic and environmental benefits since shareholders lessen their energy bill. When the co-op works their share goes up in dollar value. Jobs are created, energy saved and joyful human interaction result. This county will not lessen its dependence on foreign oil until this nation harnesses citizen's involvement.

We can not afford to wait to develop green infrastructure in neighborhoods, towns and region without engaging Americans of all walks. Also energy co-ops develop positive feedback loops by transforming the homeowners into more self reliant energy conservers. When because people buy energy shares they become motivated to get the best return on their financial collective efforts.

Today I am a member and helped start several co-ops as both my grandfathers done during the depression. With our present financial crisis I feel most secure in investing in a energy co-op.

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute states the most important jobs for the new Congress in January will be to pass an economic stimulus bill to jump start the economy, create jobs, and revitalize American industry - a tall order, which could cost between $500 billion and $1 trillion . It will be vital to includes in any new legislation innovative projects creating jobs and economic activity such as Energy Co-op. Co-ops will strengthen our long-term economic security, and address our immediate threat of climate change. Since the fall of Wall Street we must take strengths of private sector and integrate them with non-profit enterprises. Shareholders can be great decision makers and wise managers.

There are many efforts in the works to expand energy co-ops modeled by Co-op Power (www. cooppower.coop). Co-op Power operates in the New England area as a consumer-owned cooperative to maintain an economically, environmentally and socially sustainable energy future. Developing co-ops are wonderful public/private partnerships to provide not just community development but create local grass roots participation to make it happen. These times demand implementing similar measures at the local level to stimulate new green commerce. Such co-ops can also provide community based behavior change to reduce our use of fossil fuels.

Barak Obama tells the story. He employed his skills as a community organizer to become our President. Co-ops are another type of precedent taking the next step. Presently over 48,000 co-ops operate in the United States ─ and that 120 million Americans are co-op members. Roughly 10,000 credit unions (with the total assets of over $600 billion) supply financial services to 83 million members: 36 million Americans purchase their electricity from rural electric co-ops. ($80 billion in assets) are owned by their policy holders; and approximately 30 percent of farm products are marketed through cooperatives. " The tenor of the time is to explore and experiment in new ways energy co-ops can give us environmental economic relief.

Co-ops can plant seeds to stimulate both energy conservation and community economic development. What better way in getting people to both buy shares and reap the benefits as shareholders? Let's share it and cooperate together to form American energy co-ops and collectively profit. Cooperation both in nature as in human life is crucial. Energy co-op equate to numerous happy returns or one triple bottom line where people share, prosper and conserve together. Shareholders save on energy costs, stimulate community prosperity, and foster well being for future generations. Energy co-ops are investments in many ways to help preserve ourselves and our earth.