Download the toolkit to learn more about the role inclusive utility investment is playing at rural electric cooperatives:
www.cleanenergyworks.org/2025/11/17/r...

The toolkit highlights inclusive utility investment as a solution to overcome pervasive barriers to clean energy upgrades for millions of people, including member-owners in rural areas.

RECs have been some of the earliest adopters of inclusive utility investment, recognizing it as a pathway to increase affordability, access to energy efficiency upgrades, and sustained investment in the clean energy economy.

Read the toolkit to learn more: www.cleanenergyworks.org/2025/11/17/r...

Millions of households, including rural electric cooperative (REC) member-owners, are routinely excluded from accessing energy efficiency upgrades due to factors like income, homeownership status, or credit history.

The toolkit highlights topics from co-op governance to agrivoltaics and securing community benefits plans.

One solution highlighted in the toolkit is inclusive utility investment, a financial mechanism that helps overcome pervasive barriers to clean energy upgrades.

This also reduces reliance on peaker plants, cutting pollution while cutting costs

Read EDF’s new blog, “EVs Can Lower Electricity Rates for Everyone” from Dakoury Godo-Solo to learn more: blogs.edf.org/energyexchan...

Our newest blog breaks down five key opportunities:

- Greater regulatory flexibility
- A not-for-profit model
- Favorable rate structures
- Member-owned governance
- Deep community ties

🔗Read the full blog on our website: www.cleanenergyworks.org/2025/10/01/n...

Read more about the program: insideclimatenews.org/news/0310202...

The program is collaborating with local school districts to conduct testing to see how much energy the electric school buses can transfer when plugged in. Outside of lowering costs for households, the program could include extra funding for participating school districts.

In our latest blog, we outline how co-ops can optimize for both resilience and flexibility by leveraging DERs. Read more: www.cleanenergyworks.org/2025/11/03/h...

Their community-centered, non-profit model, and commitment to member service position them to lead the integration of distributed energy resources (DERs), such as rooftop solar, behind the meter battery storage, and smart appliances.

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As inclusive utility investment models embed consumer protections and broaden participation, our team is excited to help advance a new frontier: integrating utility investments into VPP demonstrations that center people, drive bill revenue and advance affordability.

Equity and affordability are no longer “nice to haves." They’re essential design requirements for scaling grid-edge efficiency solutions like Virtual Power Plants (VPPs).

Read more: www.cleanenergyworks.org/2025/10/27/p...

For co-ops, this shift presents both challenges and major opportunities. Our latest blog shares how proactively engaging with fleet operators now can give co-ops a head start in understanding electrification timelines, infrastructure needs, and potential grid impacts before demand peaks.

This momentum signals a clear trend: large-scale demand for electric trucks and delivery vehicles is materializing and the cost of MHDVs is steadily declining, projected to reach price parity with their diesel counterparts before the end of the next decade.