003: Surviving 2023: Tornadoes, Derechos, and a Global Crisis to Boot
Co-Op Heroes: Stories from Electric Utility Operators
Release Date: 06/24/2025
003: Surviving 2023: Tornadoes, Derechos, and a Global Crisis to Boot
Co-Op Heroes: Stories from Electric Utility Operators
2023 was supposed to be a manageable year for SCI-REMC. Instead, it became a masterclass in crisis management when two of the worst weather events in the co-op's history struck within three months of each other. In this episode, James Tanneberger walks us through the devastating tornado outbreak in late March that left 12,000 members without power, followed by an even more destructive derecho in June that knocked out service to over half their territory – 18,000 members – in just 10 minutes. But Mother Nature wasn't finished: the global energy crisis triggered by the Russia-Ukraine war...
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002: Winnebago to the Rescue: When Electric Utilities Get Creative During a Crisis
Co-Op Heroes: Stories from Electric Utility Operators
What happens when a hurricane threatens to flood your electric utility's control center and you have just 12 hours to evacuate? For James Tannenberger and his team during Hurricane Rita in 2005, the answer was a 1997 Winnebago converted into a mobile backup operations center. In this episode, James shares the harrowing story of their 32-hour journey from Houston to Fort Worth – a drive that should have taken 3.5 hours – as 1.5 million people fled Hurricane Rita's path simultaneously. Armed with a mechanically-questionable RV that had previously served as the company's marketing vehicle,...
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001: Beyond the Bunny Hop: SCI-REMC's Path to Improving Member Satisfaction
Co-Op Heroes: Stories from Electric Utility Operators
When James Tanneberger became CEO of SCI-REMC, his co-op ranked 17th out of 18 electric cooperatives in Southern Indiana for member satisfaction, with a score of just 68 out of 100. Eight years later, that score has climbed to 74 and continues rising. In this episode, James shares the innovative strategies that transformed his co-op's relationship with its members, from deploying fiber-to-the-home technology that enables remote outage management to ditching expensive annual meetings in favor of connecting with members at county fairs complete with deep-fried Twinkies and "bunny hop" electrical...
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000: Co-Op Heroes: Introduction
Co-Op Heroes: Stories from Electric Utility Operators
Welcome to the show! Hosts James Tanneberger and Pablo Fuentes give a quick overview of the show. We will share stories and interviews with utility operators, highlighting the trials and triumphs of the people who bring power to our homes and businesses.
info_outline2023 was supposed to be a manageable year for SCI-REMC. Instead, it became a masterclass in crisis management when two of the worst weather events in the co-op's history struck within three months of each other.
In this episode, James Tanneberger walks us through the devastating tornado outbreak in late March that left 12,000 members without power, followed by an even more destructive derecho in June that knocked out service to over half their territory – 18,000 members – in just 10 minutes. But Mother Nature wasn't finished: the global energy crisis triggered by the Russia-Ukraine war simultaneously drove wholesale power costs through the roof, forcing rate increases after a decade of stable pricing.
James shares the tactical details of managing 36 restoration crews simultaneously, the critical role of "bird dogs" and damage assessors, and why sometimes the fastest way to restore power is to resist the urge to rush into dangerous conditions. He reveals how $30 million in underground line investments paid dividends during the crisis and why the co-op now views these catastrophic events as proof they can handle anything.
Beyond the operational lessons, this episode explores how extreme adversity can forge organizational resilience and why thinking "outside the box" isn't just a business strategy – it's survival for modern electric cooperatives facing an increasingly unpredictable world.