CFC Solutions Cast

CFC’s Brian Sloboda shares how wearable support technology could help reduce strain, fatigue and injury risks for utility crews. Related content: Watch the video of this episode, "Should Co-ops Consider Emerging Wearable Support Tools?" For questions and requests about industry research topics, please contact utilityresearchpolicy@nrucfc.coop . CFC members can learn more about the latest industry...

CFC Director, Alliances and Research Amy LaVigna examines how early artificial intelligence efforts can inform investment choices, data readiness and workforce planning.  Related content: Watch the video of this episode, "Early AI Efforts Offer Lessons for Cooperative Leaders." Listen to the CFC Solutions Cast podcast episode, "How Rapid AI Damage Assessments Are Changing Disaster Recovery." Read...

Advanced nuclear is attracting unprecedented investment, but can technology scale quickly enough to meet rising electricity demand? In this edition of Solutions Cast: Industry Insights, Alisha Pinto, senior energy industry analyst at CFC, examines the opportunities, challenges and key trends cooperative leaders should watch.  Related content: Watch the video of this episode, "Can Advanced Nuclear...

Hear from Texas A&M doctoral candidate Thomas Manzini as he shares how artificial intelligence (AI) helps turn drone imagery into fast, actionable damage reports, improving disaster response when every minute counts. Learn More: CLARKE Project

CFC’s Brian Sloboda takes a closer look at vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology and explores the most important question for electric cooperatives.  Related content: Watch the video of this episode, "What Co-ops Should be Asking About V2Gs." Read the CFC Solutions Cooperative News article, "New Companies, Partnerships Move Vehicle-to-Grid Forward." For questions and requests about industry research to...

In this Industry Insights episode, Alisha Pinto, senior energy industry analyst at CFC, and Chris Whittle, energy and data analyst at CFC, explore the contents of CFC’s newly released issue brief, "Considerations of a Changing Grid: How Electric Cooperatives Are Ensuring Reliability." Related content: Watch the video of this episode, "Pinto, Whittle Explore New CFC Issue Brief." Download CFC's iss...

Nate Melby, vice president and chief information officer at Dairyland Power Cooperative in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, speaks with CFC's Brian Sloboda about how electric cooperatives can identify high-value opportunities and begin their own artificial intelligence journey. Related content: Watch the video of this episode, "How AI Is Delivering Real Value for Electric Cooperatives." Listen to the CFC Solu...

CFC Director, Alliances and Research Amy LaVigna outlines practical AI uses for cooperatives with guardrails, showing how leadership can balance innovation with oversight. Related content: Watch the video of this episode, "AI Use Rises as Co-ops Manage Risk, Governance, Oversight." Listen to the CFC Solutions Cast podcast episode, "Keeping It Human: AI and the Future of Member Service." Read the C...

CFC Senior Energy Industry Analyst Alisha Pinto examines how utilities are using microgrids to rethink resilience, prioritizing outcomes like uptime, faster recovery and continuity over one-time asset investments. Related content: Watch the video of this episode, "Microgrids Shift Resilience from Assets to Outcomes." Read the Solutions article, "Wired for Resilience: Microgrids Solve Reliability I...

CFC Director of Utility Research & Policy Brian Sloboda shares what electric cooperatives can do to protect utility infrastructure and how they should focus their physical security efforts. Related content: Watch the video of this episode, "Why Deterrence, Resilience Matter in Physical Security." Read the Solutions article, "Mid-Year Trends Update: Physical Security." For questions and request...

CFC Senior Energy Industry Analyst Alisha Pinto examines how wildfires are becoming not just a serious safety and operational risk for electric cooperatives, but also a financial threat and governance issue that insurance companies and credit rating agencies are watching closely. Related content: Watch the video of this episode, "Wildfire Mitigation Is Now a Financial, Governance Issue" Read the S...

CFC Energy and Data Analyst Chris Whittle takes a closer look at how a shift in federal policy toward reliability and phase-out of key tax incentives is shaping power supply dynamics and what this means for electric cooperatives.  Related content: Watch the video of this episode, "What Co-ops Should Know About Changing Power Supply Dynamics" Read the Solutions article, "As Load Growth Accelerates,...

SECO Energy CEO Curtis Wynn discusses how innovation in electric cooperatives should be tied to the specific challenges in a co-op’s environment, guided by long-term strategy rather than the status quo. Watch the video of this episode, "Cooperative Innovation ‘Essential’ in Today’s Environment." For questions and requests about industry research topics, please contact utilityresearchpolicy@nrucfc....

CFC Director, Utility Research & Policy Brian Sloboda offers a pragmatic outlook on virtual power plants over the short-term and their implications for electric cooperatives. Related content: Watch the video of this episode, "Virtual Power Plants: Strategic Opportunity, Not Strategic Imperative" Read the Solutions article, "Exploring Virtual Power Plants: Key Considerations for Leaders." Downl...

CFC Director of Utility Research & Policy Brian Sloboda looks at how artificial intelligence (AI) use policies can help electric cooperatives get the most benefit from using AI while keeping human beings firmly in control. Related content: Watch the video of this episode, "AI Use Policies Key To Leveraging Its Potential." Read the Solutions article, "Turning AI Into Member Value." Download CFC...

Join CFC researchers Sam Kem and Chris Whittle as they look at the risks of building large-scale, long-duration infrastructure to fuel AI computing power with uncertain future demand. Mentioned on the show: The Data Center Surge: What 2026’s Fastest-Growing Sector Means for Utilities Economic & Market Watch: ⁠ A Buyer's Market for Credit Economic & Market Watch: ⁠ Don't Budget for AI Costs...

CFC Energy and Data Analyst Chris Whittle explores data center-driven load growth forecasts, market constraints and how electric cooperatives can best position themselves for success. Related content: Watch the CFC Solutions Cast video of this episode, "What Data Center Growth Means for Electric Co-ops."   Read the CFC Solutions Cooperative News article, "The Data Center Surge: What 2026's Fastest...

Join CFC experts John Suter, vice president of economic research, and Jan Ahlen, vice president, utility research and policy, for their takes on the trends our research teams expect will shape 2026.  This episode contains the audio content from our 2026 Industry and Economic Trends Report. If you'd rather watch Jan and John, their commentaries are available as videos in the full report.  Visit the...

In this edition of Industry Insights, Chris Whittle explores how surging liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports are transforming the U.S. natural gas landscape. With electric cooperatives planning major new gas generation and data centers driving demand, LNG is set to become the largest source of natural gas growth over the next two years. As international demand rises, domestic markets may tighten,...

Join Tracy McBride as she explores the power of sharing knowledge to prepare the next generation of leaders and drive meaningful change. 

As energy demands evolve and sustainability goals intensify, nuclear power is re-entering the conversation in a significant way. In this edition of Industry Insights, CFC’s Alisha Pinto takes a closer look at the recent developments shaping the future of nuclear energy—its potential, its challenges, and what its return could mean for the broader energy landscape.

In this episode of Solutions Cast, Jonathan Layfield , Vice President of Finance at York Electric Cooperative, explores his unique path from the restaurant industry to the utility sector. Their conversation covers leadership development, the introduction of AI to the workforce, and the challenges of maintaining reliable service during rapid growth and natural disasters. 

As summer temperatures soar across the United States, electricity demand surges to record highs. In this episode of Industry Insights, Chris Whittle , CFC’s energy industry analyst, explores how dispatchable generation helped grid operators maintain reliability during extreme heat events.

In this episode of Industry Insights, Vice President of Financial Tools & Analysis Aaron Stallings explores the recent release of the 2024 Key Ratio Trend Analysis (KRTA) report, now in its 50th year. Find out what areas are driving growth and how electric cooperatives continue to maintain solid financial metrics despite the elevated interest rate environment and persistent inflation.

In this episode of Industry Insights, Senior Energy Industry Analyst Alisha Pinto breaks down the U.S. Department of Commerce’s proposed tariffs on solar imports from Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. Learn how these anti-dumping and countervailing duties—some as high as 3,400%—could reshape the solar supply chain, impact electric cooperatives and open doors for domestic manufacturing. Tun...