In this episode of The Co-Op Heroes podcast, hosts Pablo Fuentes and James Tanneberger sit down with Chad Mertz, Vice President of Strategic Communications at Hoosier Energy to explore the challenge facing the entire cooperative movement: communicating with the next generation. Chad dives into the creative solution that's changing how communities understand the difference co-ops make.

Hoosier Energy is a Generation and Transmission cooperative, one of 45 G&T co-ops across the country that provide the backbone of power supply and transmission for member cooperatives like South Central Indiana REMC. When Chad joined Hoosier Energy four years ago, board members and member CEOs raised an urgent concern: younger people simply didn't understand what a cooperative was or why it mattered.

The numbers told the story. A survey revealed a stark generational divide: 93% of adults over 65 had a positive perception of co-ops, while that number dropped dramatically with each younger demographic, creating what Chad calls "a diagonal line" of declining awareness. Recruiting young talent became difficult. Events lacked young attendees. The cooperative message wasn't reaching the generations that already aligned with co-op values, whether they knew it or not.

Rather than resort to traditional advertising, Chad's team recognized something powerful: young people are naturally attracted to cooperatives because of their values: local decision-making, democratic governance, and reinvested margins instead of corporate profits. These values reflect what Gen Z and Millennials actually believe in, they just didn't know co-ops embodied those ideals.

Featured topics:

• Why younger generations are naturally aligned with cooperative principles
• The challenge of communicating co-op value in an investor-owned utility world
• Crafting authentic stories from real member communities
• Using multimedia and geo-targeting technology to reach local audiences
• How storytelling builds long-term relationships where traditional marketing falls short
• The spring campaign featuring customized videos highlighting local cooperative heroes

Discover how the cooperative movement thrives when people understand the real difference it makes, not through selling, but through authentic stories that reveal the human side of community service. This is how you bridge the gap between mission and market, between legacy and future.

The Co-Op Heroes podcast brings you real stories from electric utility operators, the people who work around the clock to power and serve our communities.

In this episode of The Co-Op Heroes podcast, host Pablo Fuentes heads to the Hendricks County Fairgrounds to speak with Tommy Nance, VP of Operations at NineStar Connect, about the fourth annual Indiana Lineman Rodeo, an event born from a simple vision that has become a beacon for community for linemen across the state.

Five years ago, during the height of COVID, Tommy and fellow cooperative leaders asked themselves an important question: what if Indiana's electric cooperatives created their own space where linemen could safely showcase their skills, network with peers, and let their families finally see what they do every single day?

The result is a day of intense competition where linemen face timed challenges like: bucket truck rescues, transforming heavy equipment, and "hurt man rescue" drills. But beneath the competitions lies something deeper: the chance for families to witness the danger, precision, and brotherhood that defines this profession.

Featured topics:

• The real day-in-the-life of a lineman: 8-hour shifts plus constant on-call for storms, accidents, and emergencies
• How linemen network, compete, and push each other to be better through friendly rivalry
• The evolution of the rodeom, from bouncy castles for kids to hand-crafted trophies that honor the year and the craft
• Lessons learned year-over-year about creating meaningful community experiences
• The future vision: uniting all 38 Indiana co-ops and competing nationally

Tommy shares how the cooperative spirit thrives when linemen see each other beyond the apprenticeship classroom, and when families understand why their loved ones miss birthdays and work Christmas. This is a story about competitive excellence serving a bigger purpose: connecting the people who keep our communities powered.

You can learn more about the Indiana Lineman Rodeo at https://www.indianaec.org/safety/indiana-electric-cooperative-lineman-rodeo/

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The Co-Op Heroes podcast brings you real stories from electric utility operators, the people who work around the clock to keep our communities safe.

In this episode of The Co-Op Heroes podcast, host Pablo Fuentes sits down with Shaun Lamp, President and CEO of Great Lakes Energy, to hear firsthand accounts of how crews and community members responded to one of Michigan's most devastating natural disasters in recent memory. When a once-in-a-century ice storm struck in March 2025, Great Lakes Energy's 14,000-mile system faced unprecedented challenges. With up to three inches of ice coating their infrastructure (six times more than design specifications), lineworkers didn't just restore power, they became first responders and community heroes. They cut their way through impassable roads to reach stranded members, many facing dangerously cold homes without heat. Featured stories include: - Lineworkers who left spring break vacations to answer their community's call - Crews strategically positioning themselves in treacherous conditions to clear obstacles - The powerful "My Daddy's a Line Worker" campaign that celebrated the families supporting these essential workers - Critical safety lessons about generator installation and use that protect both homeowners and crews Shaun shares how the cooperative difference shone through during the crisis. Employees who didn't just complete assigned tasks but actively cared for the members and families they serve. He also highlights the collaboration between neighboring cooperatives and the shared commitment to learning and supporting one another across the industry. This is a story about resilience, sacrifice, and the everyday heroes who show up for their communities when everything is on the line. --- Great Lakes Energy can be found at https://www.gtlakes.com/ Great Lakes Energy YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@greatlakesenergy Weather Channel Ice Storm interview with Shaun Lamp : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=su0SOv8Jv4E

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In this forward-thinking episode of The Co-Op Heroes podcast, hosts Pablo Fuentes (CEO of Bloom Spatial) and James Tanneberger (CEO of South Central Indiana REMC) explore what makes electric cooperatives uniquely positioned to innovate and push boundaries that investor-owned utilities often cannot.

James explains how his perception of electric cooperatives completely changed when he entered the industry eight years ago. Rather than the "sleepy organizations" he imagined, he discovered dynamic institutions driven by a single mission: improve the lives of our members. This mission, combined with cooperative structure, creates unique advantages for innovation.

The cooperative innovation advantage:

• Self-governance through member-elected boards rather than regulatory oversight
• Non-profit structure allowing investment in community benefit over profit maximization
• Ability to move quickly on opportunities without lengthy regulatory approval processes
• Willingness to take calculated risks when downside is minimal but upside is transformational

Real-world examples: James shares how Indiana cooperatives transformed the state's connectivity landscape. When state leaders trusted co-ops to bridge the digital divide, 25 out of 38 utilities built fiber networks. But cooperatives didn't stop there...30 organizations connected their networks to create Accord, a regional data superhighway that moved Indiana from 32nd to top 5 nationally in connectivity. This model expanded nationally through Tapestry, now supporting 12 states.

Managing innovation risk: James outlines his approach to risk management: only pursue opportunities where the downside risk is minimal but the upside could be transformational. He shares the story of building a fiber connection to a regional hub that seemed like a modest efficiency gain but opened unexpected doors, including a partnership with Indiana's I-light network that more than paid for the entire project.

The next big opportunity: The episode reveals an emerging opportunity that could reshape rural economic development: distributed data centers. As mega data centers face community opposition due to massive power consumption (200-500 megawatts) and water usage, cooperatives have identified an alternative model. With substations typically running at 50% capacity and fiber already connecting their networks, co-ops can deploy smaller 10-megawatt data centers on 1-3 acres without water consumption or major infrastructure upgrades.

This distributed approach offers multiple benefits: it's less disruptive to communities, utilizes existing capacity, improves co-op load profiles by adding consistent daytime consumption to balance residential peaks, and positions rural America as a competitive player in the AI economy.

Key insight: James argues that for cooperatives serving heavily forested territories with reliability challenges, the greater risk is not innovating. Standing still means accepting poor reliability and high rates, while calculated innovation creates paths to better serve members.

This episode challenges the perception of cooperatives as traditional utilities and reveals them as innovation leaders tackling some of rural America's biggest infrastructure challenges.

The Co-Op Heroes podcast brings you real stories from electric utility operators: the people who work around the clock to keep our communities powered.

In this special roundtable episode of The Co-Op Heroes podcast, we sit down with five co-op vegetation management leaders at the Trees and Utilities Show in Knoxville, Tennessee. Each person shared a story about the heroic actions and the community impact of their vegetation management team.

Featured Guests:

• Anthony Lindfors - Matanuska Electric Association (Alaska)
• Cindy Musick - Rappahannock Electric Cooperative (Virginia)
• Kevin Perkins - CORE Electric Cooperative (Colorado)
• Amanda Opp - Flathead Electric Cooperative (Montana)
• Jeff Wissing - Holy Cross Energy (Colorado)

Stories Shared:

Anthony introduces the "Hooded Llama Award," an internal recognition for crew members who go above and beyond, inspired by a Matanuska crew rescuing a llama with a feed bag stuck on its head during subzero weather.

Cindy recounts how a tree crew saved an elderly woman's life after spotting her in a ditch during a routine trim job. The crew had repositioned their bucket truck multiple times that day, and only from that specific angle could they see the barefoot woman who had wandered from her home. The story demonstrates both divine timing and the quick thinking of crews working through interpreters.

Kevin discusses the increasing volume of member calls about dead trees in Colorado, with requests jumping from 3-4 per week to 8 per day, and recognizes a utility forester on his team for his dedication to responding to every member concern.

Amanda shares the emotional story of his veg management administrator, who arrived for a scheduled appointment to find a member unconscious in his bathroom. Despite performing life-saving measures, the member did not survive, but Kyle's presence provided crucial support to the family during a difficult moment.

Jeff tells two stories: first, how his tree crew rallied around a young lineman's girlfriend after his sudden death, moving her entire household back to her family in southern Colorado; and second, about an old-school line superintendent who showed up after work to help dig footers for Jeff's father's garage.

Key Themes: The episode illustrates how vegetation management crews serve as eyes and ears in their communities, often being the first responders in emergencies simply by being present in rural areas. The stories demonstrate the cooperative difference, employees who don't just complete their assigned tasks but actively care for the communities they serve.

This roundtable format captures the collaborative spirit of the Trees and Utilities Show and the broader utility arborist community, where co-ops regularly share best practices and support one another across regional boundaries.

For more information about the Utility Arborist Association and regional events, visit uaa.org

The Co-Op Heroes podcast brings you real stories from electric utility operators, the people who work around the clock to keep our communities powered.

_*]:min-w-0 !gap-3.5">

In this episode of The Co-Op Heroes podcast, host Pablo Fuentes sits down with Keith Taylor, Professor of Economic Development at UC Davis and self-described "People's Professor," to explore how electric cooperatives are leading innovation in rural America.

Keith shares the remarkable story of Anza Electric Cooperative in Southern California, which defied industry experts who claimed rural broadband deployment was impossible at reasonable costs. While incumbent telcos insisted it would cost $300,000 per mile to lay fiber, Anza accomplished the same task for just $30,000 per mile, a 90% cost reduction that has inspired cooperatives and community choice aggregators across the country.

Key Insights Discussed:

• How Anza Electric overcame infrastructure challenges by combining microgrid development with fiber deployment
• The concept of "public entrepreneurship" and why cooperatives fill gaps left by government and private enterprise
• Why cooperatives consistently deliver better local economic impact than investor-owned utilities
• The role of cooperatives as "classrooms and incubators of democracy"
• Emerging opportunities in distributed data centers and digital public infrastructure

Academic Perspective: Drawing from his book "Governing the Wind Energy Commons" and extensive fieldwork, Keith explains how cooperatives create community wealth, overcome political divisions, and provide stability in essential services. He discusses his research comparing cooperative-owned versus investor-owned wind farms.

Future Vision: The conversation explores Keith's work developing the Institute for Cooperative and Civic Innovation at UC Davis, which aims to foster international collaboration and help cooperatives compete in an increasingly concentrated economy. From platform cooperatives to employee stock ownership plans, Keith outlines how the cooperative model can address modern economic challenges.

This episode offers both inspiration from successful cooperative innovation and academic analysis of why the cooperative business model remains relevant in today's economy. Essential listening for anyone interested in rural development, cooperative theory, or community-driven solutions to economic challenges.

Contact Keith Taylor at [email protected] or learn more about his work at UC Davis's Institute for Cooperative and Civic Innovation.

Keith's book "Governing the Wind Energy Commons" can be found at https://wvupressonline.com/node/782

Other contacts and resources from this episode:

Kevin Short, General Manager, Anza Electric Cooperative - [email protected]

Shawn Trento, Telecommunications Manager, Anza Electric Cooperative - [email protected]

Jessica Nelson, General Manager of Golden State Power Cooperative - [email protected]

Gina Schaefer, Ace Hardware, https://ginaschaefer.com/

The Co-Op Heroes podcast brings you real stories from electric utility operators: the people who work around the clock to keep our communities powered.

In this powerful episode of The Co-Op Heroes podcast, host Pablo Fuentes sits down with Chuck Tiemann, the legendary safety instructor known throughout the electric cooperative world for his uncompromising dedication to lineman safety. Speaking from the Indiana Lineman Rodeo, Chuck shares his remarkable journey from a life-changing accident to becoming one of the industry's most impactful safety advocates.

On May 1, 1980, Chuck was severely burned in an electrical accident that cost him his left arm and right leg. Rather than letting this tragedy end his career in rural electrification, Chuck transformed his experience into a mission to prevent similar accidents from happening to others. After working to master prosthetics and exploring other careers, he returned to the electric utility industry in 1996 as a safety instructor with a clear goal: reduce electrical contacts to zero.

Chuck's Impact by the Numbers:

• Visited 459 cooperatives during his career
• Helped reduce annual lineman burns from 200 per year (1980) to 64-68 per year in the co-op world
• Developed the famous "Chuckisms" - Four simple safety principles carried by linemen across the country
• Pioneered face-to-face safety training and honest conversations with crews

Key Safety Insights: Chuck discusses the evolution of safety equipment, the psychology of complacency, and why the 8-12 year experience range represents the highest risk period for linemen. He explains critical procedures like equipotential grounding, the importance of testing for present voltage, and the life-saving practice of applying water to electrical burns within 90 seconds.

The human element: Beyond technical safety procedures, Chuck emphasizes the importance of character, honest communication, and never becoming comfortable with dangerous work. His approach of speaking directly to linemen, even throwing his prosthetic hand across the room to make a point, has created lasting impact on safety culture throughout the industry.

Chuck's story demonstrates how personal tragedy can be transformed into a force for protecting others. His dedication to visiting cooperatives one-on-one, building relationships with crews, and speaking truth about safety risks has saved lives and influenced an entire generation of electrical workers.

Contact Chuck Tiemann at 256-874-5783 for safety training programs.

The Co-Op Heroes podcast brings you real stories from electric utility operators, the people who work around the clock to keep our communities powered.

In this sobering episode of The Co-Op Heroes podcast, hosts Pablo Fuentes (CEO of Bloom Spatial) and James Tanneberger (CEO of South Central Indiana REMC) share a harrowing story that illustrates why water safety is a critical concern for utility workers.

James recounts a near-tragic incident from his time in Texas, where two substation maintenance workers faced a life-threatening situation during the aftermath of a tornado. When one employee received a panicked call from his wife about a tornado hitting their neighborhood, the crew's urgent attempt to return home led them into a flooded low-water crossing. What seemed like a manageable situation quickly turned dangerous when their truck became a boat in rising floodwater.

Key lessons covered:

• How quickly water conditions can change during severe weather
• Why vehicle size doesn't matter when water reaches the frame
• The critical decisions that saved two lives during a flash flood rescue
• The importance of calling 911 immediately rather than supervisors
• How moving water's power can be deadly even for strong swimmers

Safety insights: The episode explores the deceptive nature of floodwater and why "turn around, don't drown" isn't just a catchy slogan, it's a life-saving principle. James shares additional stories from Texas flooding events and discusses how cooperatives are partnering with local communities to improve severe weather preparedness, including expanding tornado warning systems.

Technology and prevention: The conversation touches on emerging technologies for natural disaster management, including fiber optic sensing and improved weather awareness systems that help utilities and communities prepare for severe weather events.

This episode serves as both a compelling rescue story and an important safety reminder for anyone who works outdoors or lives in areas prone to flooding. The emphasis on weather awareness and community preparedness makes this essential listening for utility workers and rural residents alike.

In this inspiring episode of The Co-Op Heroes podcast, host Pablo Fuentes sits down with Mandy Barth, Vice President of Communication at Indiana Electric Cooperatives (IEC), to explore an extraordinary international mission that has been transforming lives for over a decade.

What began as a one-time project in 2012 to celebrate the UN's International Year of the Cooperative has evolved into Project Indiana—a sustained effort to bring electricity to remote Guatemalan villages that have never had power. Mandy shares how Indiana became the first state to send an all-state team on an international electrification project, working alongside NRECA International to light up communities in Guatemala's mountains.

Key Highlights:

• How 14-15 Indiana linemen have electrified more than 700 homes across multiple trips
• The profound impact on both Guatemalan families and Indiana utility workers
• Unique challenges of working in remote jungle locations with some 1,000-foot spans
• The cultural and logistical complexities of international utility work
• How they're helping villages form their own electric cooperatives
• Current efforts to solve power supply challenges through government advocacy

Ongoing Impact:

The project has brought electricity to families (including a woman in her 90s getting power for the first time), and it has also introduced the cooperative business model to Guatemala. The initiative continues to face challenges around connecting to the national power grid due to regulatory restrictions, making each project a complex balance of engineering, diplomacy, and community development.

Mandy explains how this work has transformed the Indiana linemen who participate, with many saying it changed their perspective on gratitude and family priorities. The episode showcases how electric cooperatives extend their mission of community service far beyond their traditional service territories.

For those interested in international development, cooperative business models, or utility infrastructure challenges, this episode demonstrates the powerful impact that skilled volunteers can have when they combine technical expertise with a mission to serve.

Learn more about Project Indiana at projectindiana.org

In this episode of The Co-Op Heroes podcast, hosts Pablo Fuentes (CEO of Bloom Spatial) and James Tanneberger (CEO of South Central Indiana REMC) explore how electric cooperatives go beyond traditional utility services to improve their members' lives.

James shares South Central Indiana REMC's mission to "improve the lives of our members" and how this philosophy has led them to provide services that investor-owned utilities typically don't offer. The conversation covers their journey from early dial-up internet services in rural Texas to their current $100+ million fiber-to-the-home project serving over 12,000 users.

Services discussed:

• High-speed fiber internet and its impact on rural communities
• Early dial-up internet provision when no local options existed
• Security services (15-year operation before strategic exit)
• Propane delivery (discontinued due to risk considerations)
• Future considerations for water service delivery

Key insights:

• How the cooperative business model enables innovation that profit-driven utilities might avoid
• The strategic decision-making process for entering and exiting non-electric services
• How fiber infrastructure improvements enhance both internet service and electric grid reliability
• The role of cooperatives in rural economic development and infrastructure

James explains how the cooperative structure allows them to take calculated risks on services that improve member lives, even when the immediate financial return isn't guaranteed. The episode highlights how electric cooperatives often become innovators in rural service delivery, filling gaps that other providers won't address.

Whether you're interested in cooperative business models, rural infrastructure development, or utility innovation, this episode demonstrates how mission-driven organizations can expand their impact beyond their core services.