005: Delivering Life-Enhancing Services: Beyond the Power Lines

Co-Op Heroes: Stories from Electric Utility Operators

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.