A Game Changer: The Team Sport of Infrastructure Planning

In the second half of this two-part episode, we speak with Wright-Hennepin Cooperative Electric Association Director of Operations Lee Nordby and Director of Engineering Curt Cordt to discuss the dynamic field of electric utility infrastructure planning and the transformative changes happening in the industry. The Wright-Hennepin team has a unique approach to infrastructure planning—considering it a team sport. This non-traditional approach recognizes the importance of infrastructure investments beyond conventional elements, encompassing technology, marketing, beneficial electrification and more. Nordby and Cordt discuss developing and shifting work plans and technology plans to meet the changing needs of their cooperative membership. 

Wright-Hennepin serves approximately 59,000 members in western Hennepin County, Minnesota. The cooperative is a mix of suburban and traditional cooperative areas that are experiencing high growth demands and increased electrification of the transportation sector.  

Learn how Wright-Hennepin are bringing their A-game on investments to meet a growing territory population and an increase in energy demand.

Outline:
00:56 Operations and Technology in the Strategic Vision
01:55 What Does Long-Term Planning Mean for Operations and Technology?
06:43 How Does Changing Technology Affect Planning?
10:51 Choosing the Right Technology to Go With the Strategic Vision
13:12 Building a Robust Generation Program
14:24 Training, Talent and Relationship Building
20:06 Hiring Third Parties
21:13 Keeping the Board Informed
22:06 Handling the Unexpected
25:05 Working the Plan
26:22 How to Handle an Outdated Plan
28:54 Top Three Tips

A Game Changer: The Team Sport of Infrastructure Planning

In part one of this two-part episode, we speak with Wright-Hennepin Cooperative Electric Association CEO Tim Sullivan and CFO Brian Swanson to discuss the dynamic field of electric utility infrastructure planning and the transformative changes happening in the industry. Sullivan has a unique approach to infrastructure planning—considering it a team sport. This non-traditional approach recognizes the importance of infrastructure investments beyond conventional elements, encompassing technology, marketing, beneficial electrification and more. Sullivan and Swanson touch on the rapid pace of change in infrastructure planning due to technological advancements and the importance of adapting to these changes.

Wright-Hennepin serves approximately 59,000 members in western Hennepin County, Minnesota. The cooperative is a mix of suburban and traditional cooperative areas that are experiencing high growth demands and increased electrification of the transportation sector.

Learn how Sullivan and his team are bringing their A-game on investments to meet a growing territory population and an increase in energy demand.

Outline:
05:13 Infrastructure Planning Strategy
12:40 Developing a Long-range Financial Plan
14:42 Financial Planning and the Board of Directors
18:20 Making a Strategic Shift to the Infrastructure Plan
22:50 Energy Transition and Electric Vehicle Strategies
29:10 Keeping Members Informed
32:53 Calling Balls and Strikes on Undergrounding Lines
34:29 Infrastructure Planning with a Focus on Labor
37:23 Top Tips for Co-op Leaders Developing an Infrastructure Plan

In this episode of CFC Solutions Cast, we speak with Coweta-Fayette EMC Vice President of Communications Chellie Phillips about communicating effectively with cooperative members and employees. Phillips discusses the importance of developing trusting relationships with colleagues and executive staff—including tips for building bridges and opening lines of communication. Phillips discusses the importance of developing a strong cooperative culture and the impact the next generation of cooperative employees can bring.

Based in Palmetto, Georgia, Coweta-Fayette EMC serves 90,000 members. 

Learn more about the importance of communication in professional development and ways to build trust through communication.  

In this episode of CFC Solutions Cast, we speak with Southside Electric Cooperative CEO Jason Loehr about his transition from CFO to CEO. Loehr discusses his team philosophy and how he leads by example to develop culture and talent. 

Southside Electric Cooperative is a distribution cooperative located in south central Virginia. They serve a rural area of approximately 13,000 square miles with about 60,000 accounts, 48,000 members and 8,000 miles of line.

Discover tips executive leadership can use to enhance a cooperative’s culture and develop talent.

In this episode of CFC Solutions Cast, we speak with Vermont Electric Cooperative (VEC) Innovation and Technology Leader Cyril Brunner and CFC Vice President of Utility Research & Policy Jan Ahlen about the future impact virtual power plants (VPPs) may have on the electric cooperative network. A VPP is a network of distributed energy resources, such as smart thermostats and batteries, that are operated by a common, centralized control system.  

Brunner explains how VEC is introducing VPP programs to its membership and the potential impact he sees for the cooperative’s future. Brunner and Ahlen also discuss the broader implications VPPs could bring to utilities, including improving affordability and reliability as well as increasing member engagement.

VEC is a distribution cooperative located in Johnson, Vermont, providing energy services to over 33,000 members in 75 communities.

Listen to learn how VPPs could be changing the future of utility programs. 

In this episode of CFC Solutions Cast, we speak with Jeff Allen, vice president of operations, and Clayton Jones, vegetation management supervisor, from Jones-Onslow Electric Membership Corporation (JOEMC). They discuss their use of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies for vegetation management and how the application is enhancing their vegetation management program.  

JOEMC is a distribution cooperative located in North Carolina serving more than 81,000 meters with a service territory that stretches across six counties from beach communities to agricultural areas.  

Allen and Jones share how the new program is helping to improve the reliability and safety of the electric grid while directing cooperative resources to the right locations at the right time.  

Listen to learn how electric cooperatives can use data analytics to learn more about their vegetation management programs.  

In this episode of CFC Solutions Cast, we speak with Eugene Hamrick, director of enterprise analytics and innovation for Rappahannock Electric Cooperative (REC) and BrilliT, about the growing need for electric cooperatives to consider adding data scientist skills and how his cooperative manages talent acquisition of data professionals.

REC is one of Virginia’s largest distribution electric cooperatives with more than 174,000 connections and 17,000 miles of power lines across 22 counties stretching from the West Virginia border to the Chesapeake Bay. 

Hamrick shares how he grew his career at REC, which started in the contact center, moved to a solutions architect role after earning several data science certifications, helped create a formal data analytics department and how—through his role at BrilliT—is helping other cooperatives do the same. 

Listen to learn how electric cooperatives can turn data analytics into actionable insights for engineering operations and member services. 

In this episode of CFC Solutions Cast, we speak with Cherryland Electric Cooperative (CEC) Engineering & Operations Manager Frank Siepker about a generator loan program that enhances resilience and supports business continuity for commercial and industrial (C&I) member-owners.

Based in Grawn, Michigan, CEC faces challenges from derecho wind bursts, thunderstorms and other extreme weather events. The cooperative leverages the generator loan program to help C&I members keep the lights on during extended power outages and provides public services to the community, such as food, shelter and other forms of assistance.

Siepker discusses how the generator loan program came about, what the lending requirements are and why the cooperative recently decided to shift away from its role as an authorized reseller of Generac generators to focus on providing C&I members with generator planning and loans. 

Tune in to hear the critical insights CEC shares about implementing a commercial backup power system loan program that reduces vulnerabilities to the effects of extreme weather and ensures reliability for C&I member-owners.

In this episode of CFC Solutions Cast, we speak with Oglethorpe Power Corporation Director of Emerging Technologies Alan Shedd about the continued growth of electric vehicle (EV) adoption, creating a national EV charging network and how electric cooperatives can get ahead of the EV adoption curve. 

Shedd explains why cooperative leaders should not panic, yet, about growing EV sales, and instead focus on where 80% of EV charging will take place—at home. He describes three steps cooperatives can take to prepare their systems: get educated about the effects of EVs charging at home, collect data to understand how many EVs are on their system and get experience with EVs. 

Listen to the latest episode of CFC Solutions Cast to hear how electric cooperatives can prepare for the future growth of EV sales. 

In this episode of CFC Solutions Cast, we speak with CFC Senior Energy Industry Analyst Roman Siegert about the lessons learned from the unprecedented load curtailments and power outages in North Carolina, Tennessee, Maine and Pennsylvania caused by Winter Storm Elliott. 

Siegert discusses how Winter Storm Elliott caused the perfect storm for the electric grid during the holidays and how extreme weather events will require energy providers to collaborate more to share resources and export and import electricity from each other in order to keep the lights on. 

Listen to the latest episode of CFC Solutions Cast to hear what the electric industry needs to be better prepared for the next major winter storm.