Along Those Lines
The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association's podcast is focused on the important stories from across co-op country about the issues that matter most to rural America and the energy industry.
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In the Blink of an Eye—Devastating Incident Becomes Teaching Tool
04/22/2024
In the Blink of an Eye—Devastating Incident Becomes Teaching Tool
In 2021, Branden Bauer was working at United Electric in Pennsylvania as a journeyman lineman with nearly 10 years of experience. During a system improvement project, he made contact with a live conductor that he'd mistakenly thought was a neutral and suffered devastating injuries. Hear from Branden and his wife, Caitlin, about how he's made a mission of telling his story in the hope that it’ll help others. Graphic content warning: Contains detailed descriptions of high-voltage contact injuries.
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Lower Snake River Dams Deal Threatens Reliability in Northwest
03/26/2024
Lower Snake River Dams Deal Threatens Reliability in Northwest
A long-simmering dispute over the Lower Snake River dams burst onto the headlines in November with news of a backroom deal between the Biden administration and plaintiffs in a lawsuit against the Bonneville Power Administration and other agencies that manage the dams. The deal has raised fears about the possibility of breaching the dams and compromising the availability of reliable, carbon-free electricity. Hear from NRECA's Louis Finkel and Fall River Rural Electric Cooperative's Bryan Case.
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Lessons in Succession Planning From a Small Co-op
02/13/2024
Lessons in Succession Planning From a Small Co-op
The electric utility industry is in the midst of a “skills and people shortage,” brought on by a steady stream of senior leaders reaching retirement age, a marked increase in non-retirement turnover and an evolution toward more advanced technologies that’s making it more difficult to find qualified employees. Electric co-ops are responding with creative initiatives on succession planning and employee development. Learn more from NRECA's Delaine Orendorff and Wells Rural Electric's Clay Fitch.
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What the AI Revolution Means for Electric Co-ops
01/16/2024
What the AI Revolution Means for Electric Co-ops
Artificial intelligence is poised to have a rapidly expanding impact on many facets of our lives—and the power industry is at the tip of the spear. How are electric co-ops already using AI, and how will it shape and change the way we approach operations, member services and our workplace culture in the years to come? Hear from Mike Walsh, a futurist, author and the founder and CEO of the consulting firm Tomorrow as well as a keynote speaker for NRECA's 2024 PowerXchange and TechAdvantage.
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ACCESS Project Delivers Benefits of Solar to Co-ops’ Lower-Income Members
12/18/2023
ACCESS Project Delivers Benefits of Solar to Co-ops’ Lower-Income Members
The Achieving Cooperative Community Equitable Solar Sources (ACCESS) project, a three-year, Department of Energy-funded effort in which electric co-ops have worked on innovative ways to bring the benefits of solar power to their low- and moderate-income members, is winding down at the end of the year. Learn more about ACCESS from Lisa Slaughter, NRECA research engineer, and Marshall Cherry, president and CEO of Roanoke Cooperative.
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Middle-Mile Muddle
11/20/2023
Middle-Mile Muddle
A key piece of the broadband puzzle is the “middle mile,” which connects local networks to the broader web—a particularly critical facet for rural areas. Many electric co-ops in the broadband space are finding it difficult to access reliable, affordable third-party middle-mile networks, and some are starting to take matters into their own hands. Learn more from NRECA’s Katie Culleton as well as Steven Bandy, general manager of OzarksGo, the broadband subsidiary of Ozarks Electric Cooperative.
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Proactive Safety: Commitment to Zero Contacts and Virtual Reality Training
10/26/2023
Proactive Safety: Commitment to Zero Contacts and Virtual Reality Training
The Commitment to Zero Contacts program, a joint effort of NRECA, Federated Rural Electric Insurance Exchange and statewide co-op associations to eliminate injuries and deaths caused by accidental electrical contacts, hit its five-year mark earlier this year. Phase 2 of the program includes a VR training kit that’s being rolled out to statewide associations across the country. Learn more from NRECA's Bud Branham, Federated's Corey Parr and North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives' Farris Leonard.
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‘We Don’t Want This to Happen to Another Cooperative’: Lessons Learned From a Cyberattack
09/25/2023
‘We Don’t Want This to Happen to Another Cooperative’: Lessons Learned From a Cyberattack
In November 2021, Delta-Montrose Electric Association was hit with a ransomware attack that quickly spread through the co-op’s network and took over key systems like phone and email, customer information and meter data management. It took months of work to re-create and restore DMEA’s network, build new cyber protections and get back to a new normal. Hear from DMEA Chief Information Officer Bob Farmer and IT Manager Jay Suckey on the details of the attack and the valuable lessons learned.
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EPA's Proposed Power Plant Rule Threatens Reliability
08/24/2023
EPA's Proposed Power Plant Rule Threatens Reliability
The EPA’s proposed power plant rule is set to go into effect in the spring of 2024. This sweeping set of new restrictions on emissions from new and existing power generation facilities is being criticized by many in the industry for setting unrealistic timelines, relying on untested technologies and threatening the affordability and reliability of electricity. Hear from Ashley Slater, NRECA’s vice president for regulatory affairs, on the proposed rule and the electric cooperative response.
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Along Those Lines: Filling the Rural Housing Gap
07/25/2023
Along Those Lines: Filling the Rural Housing Gap
A pandemic-era trend has many Americans relocating from urban areas to smaller cities and towns, but they're facing a growing shortage of available, affordable housing. What’s causing this unprecedented housing gap, and what are rural leaders, including electric co-ops, doing to fix it? Hear from Alex Horowitz, project director of the Housing Policy Initiative at the Pew Charitable Trusts, and Lea Hoover, director of member and strategic services at Oregon Trail Electric Cooperative.
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Raising the Alarm on Grid Reliability
06/22/2023
Raising the Alarm on Grid Reliability
The reliability of America's electric grid is no longer a guarantee amid government regulations forcing the disorderly closure of always-on power plants in favor of renewables and demand exceeding supply during critical times in several regions of the country. What have electric co-ops been doing to raise the alarm and offer solutions? Hear from NRECA CEO Jim Matheson and Associated Electric Cooperative CEO David Tudor.
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Getting to Know NRECA President Tony Anderson
05/15/2023
Getting to Know NRECA President Tony Anderson
Tony Anderson, general manager of Cherryland Electric Cooperative in Michigan, recently kicked off his two-year term as NRECA president. He’s a familiar figure in the electric cooperative program, with a career that has included working at five co-ops in five states and a high-profile charitable campaign that involved running a marathon in every state. Hear from Anderson about his career track, what he’ll focus on as NRECA president and what his priorities are going forward.
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Powering Electric School Buses in Rural America
04/13/2023
Powering Electric School Buses in Rural America
Electric school buses are becoming a more common sight in rural school districts, thanks in part to new federal funding created by the bipartisan infrastructure law. For electric co-ops that serve these districts, what are the opportunities and challenges posed by this new demand for electricity? Hear from NRECA's Stephanie Crawford, Bradley Cherry of Grayson Rural Electric Cooperative Corp. in Kentucky and Travis Mathes of Lewis County Rural Electric Cooperative in Missouri.
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The Next Generation of Electric Co-op Leaders
03/23/2023
The Next Generation of Electric Co-op Leaders
Over the last 50 years, the Electric Cooperative Youth Tour has sent over 75,000 rural teenagers to Washington, D.C., for the “trip of a lifetime,” where they meet with their elected officials and build relationships. Through the Youth Tour and Youth Leadership Council, NRECA works to cultivate our next generation of co-op leaders. Learn more in this episode from NRECA Youth Programs and Training Manager Beth Knudson and 2023 Youth Leadership Council national spokesperson Rukaya Alrubaye.
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How Direct-Pay Incentives Will Change the Game for Co-ops
02/21/2023
How Direct-Pay Incentives Will Change the Game for Co-ops
Electric co-ops saw a major victory last year with the inclusion of direct-pay incentives in the Inflation Reduction Act. The law gives co-ops and other tax-exempt entities the ability to receive reimbursements from the government for deploying new energy technologies, putting them on a playing field with for-profit providers. How does this change the game for co-ops going forward? Hear from NRECA's Paul Gutierrez, Minnkota Power Cooperative's Mac McLennan and Northeastern REMC's Eric Jung.
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What It Takes for Co-ops to Enter the Broadband Space
01/24/2023
What It Takes for Co-ops to Enter the Broadband Space
More than 200 electric co-ops have already built or started work to offer broadband either on their own or in a partnership, and that number will only grow with billions in funding on the way to help close the digital divide. But what does it take for a co-op to create and run a broadband business? Hear from Craig Eccher, former CEO of Tri-County REC in Pennsylvania and its broadband subsidiary, Bill Gerski of Beacon Broadband, a subsidiary of Coos-Curry EC in Oregon, and NRECA's Paul Breakman.
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Co-ops Explore 'Tremendous Potential' of Small Modular Nuclear Reactors
12/08/2022
Co-ops Explore 'Tremendous Potential' of Small Modular Nuclear Reactors
Small modular reactors and their smaller cousins, microreactors, are getting plenty of buzz as an important potential source of carbon-free power amid the energy transition. Are they capable of delivering on their many promises from a technological and financial standpoint, and how long will it take until we could realistically expect these devices to be added to the grid? Learn more from NRECA's Dan Walsh and Copper Valley Electric Association's Travis Million.
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Co-ops Navigate Historic Influx of Infrastructure Funds
11/21/2022
Co-ops Navigate Historic Influx of Infrastructure Funds
The $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure law passed in late 2021 offers an unprecedented opportunity for electric co-ops to add services and improve their systems, but it also presents a challenge in terms of navigating the complicated and time-consuming process of applying for federal grants. Hear from NRECA’s Lauren Khair on the association’s infrastructure resources for co-ops and Victoria Electric Cooperative's Jessica Gray on how her co-op is managing the grant application process.
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What Does an Electric Co-op Look Like to a Hacker?
10/18/2022
What Does an Electric Co-op Look Like to a Hacker?
Cybersecurity Awareness Month edition: What do an electric cooperative’s internal and operational networks look like to a hacker, and what can co-ops do to tighten their defenses? Hear from Ryan Newlon, NRECA’s cybersecurity solutions principal, and Bryan Hatton, a cybersecurity researcher at the Idaho National Laboratory whose work includes “white hat hacking.”
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How Co-ops Are Meeting Evolving Member Expectations
09/23/2022
How Co-ops Are Meeting Evolving Member Expectations
The advent of more engaged and empowered consumer-members is driving broad changes in the way electric co-ops do business and how they communicate about the services they offer. Hear from two co-op leaders who work closely with the co-ops in their states to help them keep up with member expectations: Nelle Hotchkiss of North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives and Lisa Johnson of Seminole Electric Cooperative in Florida.
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'Perfect Storm' of Supply Shortages—The Causes and the Co-op Response
08/19/2022
'Perfect Storm' of Supply Shortages—The Causes and the Co-op Response
The ongoing global supply chain crisis has spurred double-digit inflation, frustrated companies and consumers and driven the U.S. economy to the brink of recession. Electric co-ops are feeling the brunt of the impact, facing unprecedented challenges in procuring key grid components like transformers, conductor and power poles. How are co-ops leading the industry in managing this supply crunch? Hear from Arkansas co-op leader Buddy Hasten and NRECA's Martha Duggan.
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Introducing NRECA Broadband
07/15/2022
Introducing NRECA Broadband
More than 200 electric cooperatives already provide broadband, and co-ops' role in this space is poised to become more prominent amid new government funding and an unprecedented resolve in the wake of the pandemic to close the digital divide. NRECA Broadband, a new service tier launched this summer, will leverage NRECA’s expertise, influence and reputation in helping co-ops enter the telecommunications sector. Learn more from NRECA CEO Jim Matheson and Chief Operating Officer Jeffrey Connor.
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Co-ops Play Leading Role in Community Revitalization
06/27/2022
Co-ops Play Leading Role in Community Revitalization
As many rural areas have suffered population loss and stagnating economic growth, electric co-ops have stepped up to try to reverse this trend through broad community development efforts. Hear from Touchstone Energy® Cooperative Executive Director Jana Adams, Erica Shehane of Lynches River Electric Cooperative in South Carolina and Dan Boysel of Consolidated Cooperative in Ohio on co-ops’ efforts to bring vitality and growth back to the regions they serve
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‘Super-Power’: The Impact of Hydroelectric Dams
05/23/2022
‘Super-Power’: The Impact of Hydroelectric Dams
Hydropower plants are marvels of engineering that have helped bring development and prosperity to the regions they serve. But they're also in the crosshairs of interest groups that say they should be closed because of their environmental impacts and others who want to sell the facilities to private industry. Learn more from three hydropower experts: Kurt Miller of Northwest RiverPartners, Benton REA's Troy Berglund and NRECA's Ashley Slater.
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Utility Drones 101
04/19/2022
Utility Drones 101
Electric cooperatives, whose rugged territories and unique operational needs are ideally suited to the capabilities of drones, are leading the way as unmanned aircraft take on a heightened role in the utility industry. Hear from NRECA's Stan McHann and Sangre de Cristo Electric Association's Bill Hovanec about how co-ops are pushing the limits of drones and where this promising technology is heading.
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How Co-ops Foster a Strong Workplace Culture in Changing Times
03/22/2022
How Co-ops Foster a Strong Workplace Culture in Changing Times
Workplaces had already been changing rapidly before COVID-19 hit, but the pace of change has accelerated to an unprecedented level since then. For co-ops, advances in technology, more interest in remote work, surging retirements and evolving member expectations have made it essential for managers to ensure that their workplace culture fosters learning and leadership development and attracts the right new talent. Learn more from Sioux Valley Energy's Tim McCarthy and NRECA's Delaine Orendorff.
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What's In Store for NRECA International in 2022?
02/15/2022
What's In Store for NRECA International in 2022?
The mission of NRECA International is to bring the insights, experience and expertise of America’s electric cooperatives to the world. But the impacts of the pandemic have complicated that mission, curtailing global electrification efforts and curbing travel. How is NRECA International overcoming these challenges and continuing to adapt? Hear from Dan Waddle, the group's leader, as well as Nick Allen, international projects director. (NRECA International is a separate legal entity from NRECA.)
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EV Uptake in Rural America
01/25/2022
EV Uptake in Rural America
Electric vehicle sales are skyrocketing in the U.S. as Americans embrace these highly efficient, fun-to-drive machines and more car manufacturers commit to releasing all-electric models. But EV popularity has largely been centered on urban and suburban areas and slower to catch on in rural America. What are the reasons for this dynamic, and what are electric cooperatives doing about it? Hear from NRECA's Brian Sloboda and Wright-Hennepin Cooperative Electric Association's Wendy Youngren.
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How Electric Co-ops Are Navigating the Energy Transition
12/14/2021
How Electric Co-ops Are Navigating the Energy Transition
As changes in policy, energy markets and consumer expectations drive major changes in how utilities generate and deliver electricity, the industry faces one of its most challenging times. Co-ops have been adding wind and solar to their generation portfolios, but how does the acceleration of the energy transition affect the ability to provide reliable, affordable power? Hear from Seminole Electric Cooperative's Lisa Johnson and Pat O’Loughlin of Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives and Buckeye Power.
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'You're Here to Take Care of a Community': Veterans Thrive in Co-op Jobs
11/08/2021
'You're Here to Take Care of a Community': Veterans Thrive in Co-op Jobs
As co-ops face workforce challenges due to retirements and changes in the industry’s key technologies, military veterans rotating out of active duty and into civilian life bring training and expertise that's often ideally suited to co-ops’ needs. Hear from three veterans who served their country and now focus their skills on their communities as co-op employees, and learn about the Vets Power Us program from NRECA’s Desiree Dunham, who manages this effort to help veterans explore co-op careers.
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