Legislative Issues

Individual Participation Matters—Especially in Energy Policy

Individual political participation at all levels of government plays a vital role in shaping the future of our communities. When it comes to energy, members and employees alike have meaningful opportunities to ensure the values and interests of their electric cooperative are represented. Whether it’s by staying informed, engaging with lawmakers, or supporting advocacy efforts like Voices for Cooperative Power (VCP), every voice helps protect local control, reliability, and affordability.

Voices for Cooperative Power is a network of electric co-op members working together to influence state elected officials who are making energy policy decisions that impact co-ops on the state and federal level. Members come together to communicate their perspective and aim to protect co-ops’ ability to deliver reliable services.

VCP gives members a platform to talk about the ways electric co-ops support the communities they serve. Co-op members are able to submit their story of how co-ops, and energy policy affect them to be shared on social media platforms and with elected officials.

To learn more about Voices for Cooperative Power or to join, visit Voices for Cooperative Power.

Stop the Attack on Affordable Power for Rural Texans

Legislation in Austin could drive up electricity costs, put safety at risk and harm rural Texans.

Right now, electric cooperatives have a fair agreement with telecom companies to share utility poles. This partnership allows telecom companies to expand services into rural areas, while co-ops can continue providing safe and reliable electricity.

But the bills being considered threaten to disrupt this agreement in dangerous ways:

Higher Electric Bills: The bills force co-ops to let telecom companies use their poles at rates so low they don’t cover costs, shifting the financial burden to hard-working Texans.
Unsafe Conditions: The bills let telecom companies bypass co-op safety standards and hijack private property without the owner’s permission — putting reliable electric service at risk.
Infringement on Local Control: The bills diminish the very aspects that cooperatives were founded upon by taking away local control of pole attachment policies and putting it under the control of Public Utility Commission of Texas. Every pole and piece of infrastructure built and maintained by the cooperative was done so with the approval and guidance of a local, democratically elected board of directors.

Electric co-ops are committed to serving our rural communities. But this legislation puts the needs of major corporations above those of everyday Texans.

Tell your representatives to oppose HB 3445 and HB 3448 and protect reliable power in Texas.

Texas House Bill 3448 (updated proposal as of 4.16.2025)

Texas House Bill 3445 (updated proposal as of 4.11.2025)

SBEC is joining forces with cooperatives and members across Texas to speak out against HB 3445 and HB 3448. We encourage you to join Voices for Cooperative Power to help join us in protecting your rights.

To learn more and join VCP, visit their website at https://bit.ly/4j8HeD0

Make your voice heard by reaching out to members of the Texas House State Affairs Subcommittee: