At the end of January, CURE bid a temporary “bon voyage” to Energy Democracy Director Erik Hatlestad as he started serving a six-month detail with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development, Rural Utility Service (RUS) as a Clean Energy Benefits Advisor. During his detail, Hatlestad will help the RUS implement the Empowering Rural America (New ERA) program, a historic investment in rural electrification. New ERA is based, in part, on Hatlestad’s 2019 Rural Electrification 2.0 Report. Hatlestad’s work will focus on Community Benefits Planning and how clean energy can benefit farmers and rural communities and address clean energy siting concerns. This will be the first time ever the USDA will implement Community Benefit Plans.
“It has been an honor to join the long tradition of rural Minnesotans building homegrown solutions to our world’s biggest problems,” said Hatlestad. “New ERA will leverage tens of billions of dollars in rural energy investments across the country, and I’m glad to have the opportunity to implement the program I helped create. Assuring that those investments benefit rural communities is critical to the success of New ERA, and the past ten years of work at CURE and a lifetime lived in rural Minnesota will help inform this work moving forward.”
CURE was honored to have Hatlestad selected for assignment to the USDA. He brings a wealth of knowledge regarding rural electric cooperatives, farming, and rural communities. While it is not uncommon for the USDA to “borrow” experts from large research universities, it is rare for the USDA to approach a small, rural organization like CURE.
“It took a while for me to understand what was being proposed for Erik and CURE. Clearly, it is an honor to be recognized for one’s success and expertise,” said Duane Ninneman, CURE Executive Director. “The work Erik is doing will yield real benefits across rural America.”
Hatlestad, a native of New London, grew up on a small family farm and is a long-time rural advocate. He joined CURE in 2013, where his work focuses on participatory democracy and the transition to clean energy in rural electric cooperatives.
