Along Those Lines

The Palisades nuclear plant in Michigan was shut down in 2022 but is on a path to be repowered by late next year—an unprecedented project that wouldn't be possible without the involvement of the two Midwestern generation and transmission cooperatives that signed long-term agreements to purchase power from the plant. Hear from Wolverine Power Cooperative's Eric Baker and Hoosier Energy's Donna Walker about how co-ops became involved in this historic effort.

Electric co-ops in the Southeast grappled with unprecedented damage from back-to-back hurricanes this fall, with Helene and Milton making landfall just a couple of weeks apart. This month, we hear from the CEOs of two of the many electric cooperatives impacted by these storms to talk about their preparation, response and recovery: Matt Stanley of Laurens Electric Cooperative in South Carolina and David Lambert of Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative in Florida.

Electric co-ops have always been energy innovation leaders, but a surge in public funding is taking that to the next level. The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 includes billions for clean energy projects—including the New ERA program designed specifically for co-ops—and the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law funded a wide range of programs that benefit co-ops. Hear from NRECA's Lauren Khair, Golden Valley Electric Association's Travis Million and Flathead Electric Cooperative's Jason Williams.

Artificial intelligence, with its remarkable ability to digest and analyze enormous amounts of data, has nearly limitless positive applications for utilities. But it could be used just as effectively as a malicious tool by hackers and scammers. Co-ops are moving cautiously with AI, finding ways to safely implement new, enhanced systems while marginalizing tools that could increase cyber risk. Learn more from NRECA's Carter Manucy as well as Dairyland Power Cooperative's Nate Melby and Vlad Tsoy.