CFC Solutions Cast

CFC's podcast is focused on highlighting financial and energy industry insights that matter most to the electric cooperative network.

From Corporate America to Cooperative Leadership: CFOs Navigate Unique Challenges in the Energy Transition

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

10-21
23:08

From Dormant to Dominant: The Return of Nuclear Power

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.

09-18
06:00

From Restaurants to Reliability: A VP's Journey at York Electric Cooperative

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. 

09-09
11:11

Industry Insights: Summer Heatwave Pressures Grid Resilience

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.

08-27
02:42

Industry Insights: Explore the Drivers of Growth, Financial Stability

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.

08-19
03:55

Industry Insights: Solar Sticker Shock—New Tariffs Target the Solar Industry

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. Tune in for insights on policy shifts, market responses and what lies ahead for the solar sector.

07-30
05:10

Industry Insights: Peak Shifts, Solar Surges: Inside Vermont’s Grid Transformation

In this episode of Industry Insights, Vermont Electric Cooperative CFO Caroline Mashia shares how the cooperative is adapting to rapid electrification, rooftop solar and shifting energy peaks in one of the most dynamic energy landscapes in the U.S.

07-17
04:24

Industry Insights: AI’s Role in Enhancing Operations and Member Services

Join CFC’s Jan Ahlen to discover how AI is revolutionizing the utility industry, improving operations and serving members better.

06-05
03:37

Industry Insights: Electric Cooperatives and the Data Center Boom

Electricity consumption will drive U.S. economic growth, with data centers leading the charge. Join CFC’s Chris Whittle to explore the challenges and opportunities for electric cooperatives in this evolving landscape.

05-14
04:10

Industry Insights: Transformers Are More Than Meets the Eye

Join CFC’s Alisha Pinto for a look at the critical role transformers play in electric grid infrastructure and what the future holds.

04-30
04:55

Industry Insights: Small Modular Reactors Closer To Reality

Join CFC’s Brian Sloboda to learn how factory-built and scalable small modular reactors could provide utility-scale baseload power as licensing is modernized and the sector receives substantial U.S. investment. Find out what electric cooperatives need to know today.

04-16
03:57

Industry Insights: Understanding Utility-Scale Solar

Join CFC’s Alisha Pinto for a look at key insights from CFC’s recent solar issue brief, which serves as a guide for electric cooperative leaders. Learn more about utility-scale solar

04-02
04:45

Industry Insights: Electric Cooperatives’ Role in Changing EV Landscape

Join CFC’s Brian Sloboda for a look at the evolving landscape of electric vehicles (EVs) and the role electric cooperatives can play.

03-12
03:46

2025 Industry and Economic Trends

Join CFC industry and policy expert Jan Ahlen and economic expert Sam Kem as they discuss this year's economic and industry environments and take a look at how trends in each affect the other.Explore the 2025 Industry and Economic Trends Report yourself at https://interactive.nrucfc.coop/trends-report-2025.For questions and requests about economic topics, please contact economicresearch@nrucfc.coop.For questions and requests about industry research topics, please contact utilityresearchpolicy@nrucfc.coop.Visit us, download the intelligence brief and dashboard and explore other Solutions media on our website, nrucfc.coop/Solutions.

02-04
13:05

Enhancing Efficiency, Member Experience with AI

Join Dairyland Power Cooperative Chief Information Officer Nate Melby and Business Applications Supervisor Vlad Tsoy to learn how the cooperative is leveraging various types of AI technology through an internally developed VoltWrite solution. Melby and Tsoy discuss valuable insights into how electric cooperatives can strategically adopt AI to support their workforce and enhance member engagement.  Dairyland Power is a wholesale electric cooperative that supplies the energy needs of 24 distribution cooperatives and 27 municipal utilities across four states: Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and Illinois.  Learn how to find the right balance between implementing AI technologies and maintaining the human touch that is crucial to the cooperative business model. 

11-18
21:11

Industry Insights: DOE Funds Energize US Battery Storage

Join CFC’s Chris Whittle to learn how the U.S. is revolutionizing its battery manufacturing landscape, potentially transforming the future of renewable energy and electric reliability for cooperatives nationwide.

10-17
02:22

Leadership Insights from a Hurricane-Tested CEO

Join Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative (GCEC) CEO John Bartley as he looks back at the impact his cooperative felt when faced with a direct hit from Hurricane Michael.   GCEC is a distribution cooperative serving more than 20,000 meters and 2,500 miles of line in six counties and six municipalities across the southern panhandle of Florida.   Discover what it takes to lead an electric cooperative through the challenges of restoring power after a Category 5 storm and the invaluable lessons learned during the rebuilding process.

10-15
10:45

Industry Insights: Empowering Electric Cooperatives—The Promise of Microgrids

Join CFC’s Alisha Pinto as she explores the potential of microgrids to enhance energy resilience and efficiency for electric cooperatives.

10-02
03:57

Colorado CEO Talks Reliability in the Face of Extreme Weather

Join CORE Electric Cooperative CEO Pam Feuerstein for a conversation on technology planning and financial opportunities used to harden CORE’s electric system in a territory at high risk for weather events, including wildfires.  CORE is the largest electric cooperative in Colorado, providing electric power to more than 375,000 residents. CORE serves 5,000 square miles, including portions of 11 counties to the east, west and south of Denver. Listen now to learn more about the technology and tools CORE is implementing to mitigate risk, create data governance and focus financial investments in the right areas to harden its system.

09-26
13:29

Industry Insights: Unleashing the Potential of DERMS

Join CFC’s Brian Sloboda to discover how distributed energy resource management systems (DERMS) revolutionize energy management.

09-17
02:28

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