Along Those Lines

• Electric Co-ops Manage Unprecedented Data Center Growth

  Data center development is surging to meet demand for cloud applications, cryptocurrency, streaming services and AI. Electric co-ops are at the center of it, with some fielding multiple new requests at a time to serve data centers. These large loads can benefit co-ops and their communities in a number of ways—and they also pose a host of challenges. Learn more from NRECA's Allison Hamilton, Wabash Valley Power Alliance's Jeff Conrad and Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corp.'s JD Lowery.

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• NRECA Defense Summits Address Military's Evolving Energy Needs

  More than 140 electric co-ops serve Department of Defense facilities or Coast Guard stations, and co-ops own, operate and maintain the power distribution grids at 31 military installations through utility privatization contracts. Hear from NRECA's Lauren Khair, Kodiak Electric Association's Dan Menth and Kotzebue Electric Association's Tom Atkinson about a new series of Defense Summits to tackle grid modernization challenges amid the changing energy needs of our armed services.

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• Electric Co-ops Mount Multipronged Campaign to Improve FEMA

  FEMA provides crucial funding to co-ops after disasters, allowing them to restore power faster and make their infrastructure more resilient while limiting related costs for members. But FEMA is far from perfect, with many co-ops facing issues with accessing funding. Hear from NRECA's Jim Matheson, Florida Electric Cooperatives Association's Mike Bjorklund and Vermont Electric Co-op's Rebecca Towne on why FEMA is so essential and how a bipartisan bill in Congress could improve the agency.

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• Co-ops Embrace Cultural Evolution Amid a Generational Workforce Shift

  Electric co-ops are experiencing a historically broad and rapid shift in their organizational culture, driven largely by an influx of younger, tech-savvy employees amid a wave of retirements and turnover, along with other changes in the industry. Co-ops are bringing creativity and innovation to the challenge, adapting everything from onboarding processes to learning opportunities to leadership development. Learn more from NRECA's Delaine Orendorff and SLEMCO's Katherine Domingue.

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• 2025 NRECA Regional Meetings to Focus on Co-ops' Most Pressing Issues

  NRECA's 2025 Regional Meetings kick off Sept. 3 in Providence, Rhode Island. The five meetings, which will take place across the country through October, are a key step in the member resolutions process that guides NRECA's policy advocacy. The meetings are also a chance for co-op leaders to discuss the most pressing issues of the day—from growing data center demand to innovative ways they're serving members. Learn more about the agenda from NRECA's Jeffrey Connor, Erin Pressley and Pat Mangan.

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