Questions & Answers About Cooperatives
What is the rural electrification program?
It refers to a partnership effort of the federal government and electric systems serving the rural areas of America. The federal government provided loans on favorable terms through the Rural Utilities Service (RUS). Farmers and other rural residents provided the initiative and leadership in organizing, constructing and operating their own rural electric systems to provide service for themselves, neighbors & future consumers in rural areas.
What is RUS?
RUS is the designation for the Rural Utilities Service. This is a government agency, a part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, with offices in Washington, D.C. It administers the Rural Electrification and Telephone Revolving Fund, insures loans from the fund and guarantees loans from other private sources. Loans are made to cooperatives, public power districts, municipal electric systems, and power companies which are willing to use the funds to provide initial and continuing electric services on an area-wide basis to unserved farms, residences, businesses & industrial plants, schools, churches and other establishments in rural areas.
How were REA and RUS created?
RUS is the designation for the Rural Utilities Service. This is a government agency, a part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, with offices in Washington, D.C. It administers the Rural Electrification and Telephone Revolving Fund, insures loans from the fund and guarantees loans from other private sources. Loans are made to cooperatives, public power districts, municipal electric systems, and power companies which are willing to use the funds to provide initial and continuing electric services on an area-wide basis to unserved farms, residences, businesses & industrial plants, schools, churches and other establishments in rural areas.
What is the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA)?
RUS is the designation for the Rural Utilities Service. This is a government agency, a part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, with offices in Washington, D.C. It administers the Rural Electrification and Telephone Revolving Fund, insures loans from the fund and guarantees loans from other private sources. Loans are made to cooperatives, public power districts, municipal electric systems, and power companies which are willing to use the funds to provide initial and continuing electric services on an area-wide basis to unserved farms, residences, businesses & industrial plants, schools, churches and other establishments in rural areas.
Why were REA and the RE loan program necessary?
RUS is the designation for the Rural Utilities Service. This is a government agency, a part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, with offices in Washington, D.C. It administers the Rural Electrification and Telephone Revolving Fund, insures loans from the fund and guarantees loans from other private sources. Loans are made to cooperatives, public power districts, municipal electric systems, and power companies which are willing to use the funds to provide initial and continuing electric services on an area-wide basis to unserved farms, residences, businesses & industrial plants, schools, churches and other establishments in rural areas.
What have rural electric cooperatives accomplished in developing rural areas?
RUS is the designation for the Rural Utilities Service. This is a government agency, a part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, with offices in Washington, D.C. It administers the Rural Electrification and Telephone Revolving Fund, insures loans from the fund and guarantees loans from other private sources. Loans are made to cooperatives, public power districts, municipal electric systems, and power companies which are willing to use the funds to provide initial and continuing electric services on an area-wide basis to unserved farms, residences, businesses & industrial plants, schools, churches and other establishments in rural areas.
Why is it difficult to set rates for electric service in rural areas?
RUS is the designation for the Rural Utilities Service. This is a government agency, a part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, with offices in Washington, D.C. It administers the Rural Electrification and Telephone Revolving Fund, insures loans from the fund and guarantees loans from other private sources. Loans are made to cooperatives, public power districts, municipal electric systems, and power companies which are willing to use the funds to provide initial and continuing electric services on an area-wide basis to unserved farms, residences, businesses & industrial plants, schools, churches and other establishments in rural areas.
Have the members of rural electric cooperatives helped cut the costs of providing electric service?
RUS is the designation for the Rural Utilities Service. This is a government agency, a part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, with offices in Washington, D.C. It administers the Rural Electrification and Telephone Revolving Fund, insures loans from the fund and guarantees loans from other private sources. Loans are made to cooperatives, public power districts, municipal electric systems, and power companies which are willing to use the funds to provide initial and continuing electric services on an area-wide basis to unserved farms, residences, businesses & industrial plants, schools, churches and other establishments in rural areas.
Just what is a cooperative?
RUS is the designation for the Rural Utilities Service. This is a government agency, a part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, with offices in Washington, D.C. It administers the Rural Electrification and Telephone Revolving Fund, insures loans from the fund and guarantees loans from other private sources. Loans are made to cooperatives, public power districts, municipal electric systems, and power companies which are willing to use the funds to provide initial and continuing electric services on an area-wide basis to unserved farms, residences, businesses & industrial plants, schools, churches and other establishments in rural areas.
How does a co-op differ from other businesses?
RUS is the designation for the Rural Utilities Service. This is a government agency, a part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, with offices in Washington, D.C. It administers the Rural Electrification and Telephone Revolving Fund, insures loans from the fund and guarantees loans from other private sources. Loans are made to cooperatives, public power districts, municipal electric systems, and power companies which are willing to use the funds to provide initial and continuing electric services on an area-wide basis to unserved farms, residences, businesses & industrial plants, schools, churches and other establishments in rural areas.
How is a cooperative nonprofit? How does this work?
RUS is the designation for the Rural Utilities Service. This is a government agency, a part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, with offices in Washington, D.C. It administers the Rural Electrification and Telephone Revolving Fund, insures loans from the fund and guarantees loans from other private sources. Loans are made to cooperatives, public power districts, municipal electric systems, and power companies which are willing to use the funds to provide initial and continuing electric services on an area-wide basis to unserved farms, residences, businesses & industrial plants, schools, churches and other establishments in rural areas.
Do cooperatives pay taxes?
RUS is the designation for the Rural Utilities Service. This is a government agency, a part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, with offices in Washington, D.C. It administers the Rural Electrification and Telephone Revolving Fund, insures loans from the fund and guarantees loans from other private sources. Loans are made to cooperatives, public power districts, municipal electric systems, and power companies which are willing to use the funds to provide initial and continuing electric services on an area-wide basis to unserved farms, residences, businesses & industrial plants, schools, churches and other establishments in rural areas.
How many rural electric cooperatives are there?
RUS is the designation for the Rural Utilities Service. This is a government agency, a part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, with offices in Washington, D.C. It administers the Rural Electrification and Telephone Revolving Fund, insures loans from the fund and guarantees loans from other private sources. Loans are made to cooperatives, public power districts, municipal electric systems, and power companies which are willing to use the funds to provide initial and continuing electric services on an area-wide basis to unserved farms, residences, businesses & industrial plants, schools, churches and other establishments in rural areas.
How much RUS money has been borrowed from the federal government since 1936?
RUS is the designation for the Rural Utilities Service. This is a government agency, a part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, with offices in Washington, D.C. It administers the Rural Electrification and Telephone Revolving Fund, insures loans from the fund and guarantees loans from other private sources. Loans are made to cooperatives, public power districts, municipal electric systems, and power companies which are willing to use the funds to provide initial and continuing electric services on an area-wide basis to unserved farms, residences, businesses & industrial plants, schools, churches and other establishments in rural areas.
Exactly what has been done with the RUS loan funds? How is the money used?
RUS is the designation for the Rural Utilities Service. This is a government agency, a part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, with offices in Washington, D.C. It administers the Rural Electrification and Telephone Revolving Fund, insures loans from the fund and guarantees loans from other private sources. Loans are made to cooperatives, public power districts, municipal electric systems, and power companies which are willing to use the funds to provide initial and continuing electric services on an area-wide basis to unserved farms, residences, businesses & industrial plants, schools, churches and other establishments in rural areas.
If the number of farms is declining, how can there be an increase in the number of rural customers?
RUS is the designation for the Rural Utilities Service. This is a government agency, a part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, with offices in Washington, D.C. It administers the Rural Electrification and Telephone Revolving Fund, insures loans from the fund and guarantees loans from other private sources. Loans are made to cooperatives, public power districts, municipal electric systems, and power companies which are willing to use the funds to provide initial and continuing electric services on an area-wide basis to unserved farms, residences, businesses & industrial plants, schools, churches and other establishments in rural areas.
What have the rural electric cooperatives accomplished in developing rural areas?
RUS is the designation for the Rural Utilities Service. This is a government agency, a part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, with offices in Washington, D.C. It administers the Rural Electrification and Telephone Revolving Fund, insures loans from the fund and guarantees loans from other private sources. Loans are made to cooperatives, public power districts, municipal electric systems, and power companies which are willing to use the funds to provide initial and continuing electric services on an area-wide basis to unserved farms, residences, businesses & industrial plants, schools, churches and other establishments in rural areas.
What about the future? Can rural electric co-ops get along without RUS financing?
RUS is the designation for the Rural Utilities Service. This is a government agency, a part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, with offices in Washington, D.C. It administers the Rural Electrification and Telephone Revolving Fund, insures loans from the fund and guarantees loans from other private sources. Loans are made to cooperatives, public power districts, municipal electric systems, and power companies which are willing to use the funds to provide initial and continuing electric services on an area-wide basis to unserved farms, residences, businesses & industrial plants, schools, churches and other establishments in rural areas.
What major milestone in the rural electrification program occurred on May 11, 1973?
RUS is the designation for the Rural Utilities Service. This is a government agency, a part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, with offices in Washington, D.C. It administers the Rural Electrification and Telephone Revolving Fund, insures loans from the fund and guarantees loans from other private sources. Loans are made to cooperatives, public power districts, municipal electric systems, and power companies which are willing to use the funds to provide initial and continuing electric services on an area-wide basis to unserved farms, residences, businesses & industrial plants, schools, churches and other establishments in rural areas.
How did the 1973 amendments come about?
RUS is the designation for the Rural Utilities Service. This is a government agency, a part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, with offices in Washington, D.C. It administers the Rural Electrification and Telephone Revolving Fund, insures loans from the fund and guarantees loans from other private sources. Loans are made to cooperatives, public power districts, municipal electric systems, and power companies which are willing to use the funds to provide initial and continuing electric services on an area-wide basis to unserved farms, residences, businesses & industrial plants, schools, churches and other establishments in rural areas.
Do consumer-members of RUS borrower systems have more influence in the operations of their electric utility than customers of investor-owned systems?
RUS is the designation for the Rural Utilities Service. This is a government agency, a part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, with offices in Washington, D.C. It administers the Rural Electrification and Telephone Revolving Fund, insures loans from the fund and guarantees loans from other private sources. Loans are made to cooperatives, public power districts, municipal electric systems, and power companies which are willing to use the funds to provide initial and continuing electric services on an area-wide basis to unserved farms, residences, businesses & industrial plants, schools, churches and other establishments in rural areas.
How can consumer-members and their families exert influence in the legislative process?
RUS is the designation for the Rural Utilities Service. This is a government agency, a part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, with offices in Washington, D.C. It administers the Rural Electrification and Telephone Revolving Fund, insures loans from the fund and guarantees loans from other private sources. Loans are made to cooperatives, public power districts, municipal electric systems, and power companies which are willing to use the funds to provide initial and continuing electric services on an area-wide basis to unserved farms, residences, businesses & industrial plants, schools, churches and other establishments in rural areas.