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01.20.23

BATON ROUGE – Yesterday afternoon, U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) met workers and board members for DEMCO at their headquarters in Central. He discussed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), which contains billions to harden our electric grid and mitigate for flooding. He also took questions from their employees. 

“Had a town hall meeting at DEMCO,” said Dr. Cassidy. “People from the community, serving the community, who care about the community. We spoke about infrastructure, Social Security and other issues affecting the community. Working together, we become better.”

As part of the (IIJA), which was signed into law in November 2021, $26 billion was devoted to strengthening our nation’s electrical grid to prevent widespread power outages after major hurricanes. That includes $5 billion to enhance the resilience of electric grids from extreme weather and natural disasters, $12.5 billion to increase power transmission to maintain reliable access to energy, and $9 billion to develop and deploy new technologies to strengthen grid reliability and resiliency. This money will help companies and co-operatives keep the lights on after major storms. 

While there, Cassidy also met with the leadership of DEMCO, including CEO and General Manager Randy Pierce.

“DEMCO was pleased to host Senator Cassidy today and appreciates the opportunity to hear from and visit with a member of our Congressional delegation,” said Mr. Pierce. “Senator Cassidy and his staff recognize the importance of the work of our electric cooperative and respects the strength of our voice in the communities we serve.” 

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