Consumer Group Warns Electric Cooperatives Against Politics

As the 2025 midterm elections approach, consumer advocacy group Partners for Affordable and Reliable Energy (PARE) has urged electric cooperatives to remain neutral and prioritize their core mandate of delivering affordable and reliable electricity.

In a statement, PARE expressed concern over the alleged use of cooperative resources to promote political candidates and partylists, warning that such actions compromise the cooperatives’ duty to consumers.

“Electric cooperatives are mandated to serve consumers, not politicians. Their time, resources, and expertise should be dedicated to providing least-cost power—not to political campaigns,” said Nic Satur Jr., PARE’s chief advocate officer.

PARE reported instances of electric cooperatives using official pages to share candidates’ activities and deploying cooperative personnel to support campaign efforts. “Leading up to the 2025 Midterm Elections, we have observed that there have been questionable posts by electric cooperatives in the past couple of weeks that seemingly endorse a political candidate or partylist,” Satur said.

The advocacy group also noted that some general assemblies and member-consumer-owner (MCO) gatherings featured candidates’ posters and tarpaulins, which they argue distract from discussions on power rates and service improvements.

“These events must be a venue to discuss power rates and other electric cooperative concerns only. Last we checked, candidates and partylists are not an electric cooperative’s main concern,” Satur added.

PARE warned that political endorsements from cooperative leaders could lead to higher electricity rates, unreliable service, and mismanaged resources, further burdening consumers.

The group called on electric cooperative officials to uphold neutrality. “We call on EC officials to focus on improving energy services, not politics,” Satur said. “Their duty is to ensure affordable and reliable electricity for MCOs, not to take sides in elections.”

Electric cooperatives play a crucial role in the country’s energy sector, particularly in rural areas where they serve millions of consumers. PARE’s appeal aims to reinforce the integrity of these institutions amid the upcoming elections.