MECA Unites Behind FEMA Reform to Strengthen Disaster Recovery

Across Michigan and the nation, electric cooperatives are speaking with one voice to strengthen disaster recovery and ensure communities can rebuild faster when severe weather strikes. The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) and the Michigan Electric Cooperative Association (MECA) are both rallying support for the bipartisan Fixing Emergency Management for Americans (FEMA) Act of 2025, which would streamline how disaster-relief funds are distributed to cooperatives.

According to NRECA, more than 40,000 cooperative members, employees, and grassroots advocates have already contacted their lawmakers through the Voices for Cooperative Power (VCP) platform, urging Congress to pass the bill.

“Reforming FEMA is a top priority for NRECA because every electric co-op in America faces the real and growing threat of natural disasters, from hurricanes and wildfires to floods and ice storms,” said Kelly Cushman, NRECA vice president of political programs. “This bill would provide faster disaster relief for co-op communities, because when every minute counts, faster aid means stronger recovery.”

At the state level, MECA continues to mobilize Michigan’s cooperatives to make sure our unique story and our challenges are heard. Michigan’s rural electric systems face vast service territories and increasingly severe weather. Those realities make it even more important for lawmakers to hear directly from the people who live and work in the communities co-ops serve.

“Cooperative membership has always meant more than receiving electricity. It means being involved,” said MECA CEO John Kran. “For rural Michiganders, speaking up matters. When members take part in efforts like this, they are telling lawmakers that we count and that our communities deserve the same support as anyone else. That voice is essential for moving legislation that protects rural reliability.”

That commitment was clear earlier this year when VCP and northern Michigan electric cooperatives acted swiftly following the historic spring 2025 ice storms. Their coordinated outreach secured more than 12,400 member signatures in support of making FEMA Category F funds, which cover permanent repair and restoration, available to electric cooperatives. After the campaign, members of the Michigan Congressional delegation sent a letter to President Trump further urging him to approve those funds. The campaign demonstrated the power of grassroots advocacy in influencing federal policy and ensuring Michigan’s rural communities are not left behind in disaster recovery efforts.

Together, NRECA and MECA are advancing reform that reflects the cooperative difference, with grassroots engagement, practical leadership, and a shared commitment to keeping power reliable and communities resilient. You can participate in the VCP campaign by sending a letter to your lawmakers HERE.