As Mark Twain famously quipped, “No man’s life, liberty, or property are safe while the legislature is in session.” It falls to the Colorado Rural Electric Association to safeguard the life, liberty, and property of our state’s electric cooperatives and their members at our state capitol. When the gavel fell to close the 2026 legislative session a couple of weeks ago it marked the conclusion of 120 long days that were often hectic, sometimes tedious, and ultimately successful for our legislative advocacy team.
CREA was able to defend electric co-op interests and ensure lawmakers understood the real-world impacts of the policies they were considering. In several cases, CREA helped secure important amendments that protected local control, preserved service territory rights, reduced regulatory burdens, and kept affordability and reliability at the center of the conversation.
Most importantly, Colorado’s electric co-ops came through the 2026 session unscathed. Despite a wide range of proposals that could have created new costs, mandates or operational challenges, CREA’s advocacy helped ensure electric co-ops remain well positioned to continue serving their members with safe, reliable and affordable power.
These efforts translated into real dollars saved for electric co-ops and their consumer-members. Every unnecessary study, duplicative process, unfunded mandate, or new compliance obligation that was avoided helped protect co-op budgets and the members who ultimately pay the bill.
Building Credibility and Strengthening Rural Energy Advocacy
Our legislative advocacy team was spearheaded by Taylor Ward, CREA’s Director of Government Relations, with support from others on our staff, and CREA’s skilled contract lobbyists. Together, they harnessed efforts of other electric cooperative partners and like-minded interests to cultivate relationships with political leaders, and ensure that we are viewed as a credible, solutions-oriented voice in the building. Establishing this credibility not only helped us during the past session, but it paves the way for success in sessions to come.
Other CREA efforts have this long-term success strategy in mind. In February, we organized a reimagined Co-op Day at the Capitol, helping build relationships and elevating the voice of electric co-ops. In April, we partnered with other public power agencies to bring our front-line workers from across the state to the capitol, celebrating their critical contribution to our way of life with a robust Lineworker Appreciation Day. For legislators, this event put the spotlight on the operational challenges co-ops face and the importance of wildfire liability reform policies that support safety, reliability, and affordability.
The Future of the CARE PAC and Cooperative Influence
The session may be over, but our work continues. Our focus now shifts to building a reinvigorated political action committee or PAC. CARE — Colorado Advocates for Rural Electrification — is the PAC supporting Colorado electric co-ops. It enables us to enhance relationships with legislators, establish credibility, and give us the political presence that we need to succeed. The stakes are big, and we must be at the table to meet the challenges that are coming. If we’re not, the reliability and affordability that our co-op members depend on will suffer.
Tom Walch is the executive director of the Colorado Rural Electric Association, the statewide organization supporting 21 electric distribution cooperatives and one generation and transmission cooperative.