| Resource Type | Webinar |
| Author / Source | Co-op Innovation Network (CIN) |
| Publication Date | September 2026 |
| Location | Multi-state (Alaska and North Carolina; framework applicable nationally) |
| Initiative Type | Partnership, Technology, Program |
| Project Complexity | Advanced |
| Recommended For | Board, Staff |
Estimated viewing time: 60 minutes
Why This Matters for Rural Electric Co-ops
This webinar makes the case for reliability in two ways. More than 140 co-ops serve military installations that draw roughly 98% of their power from the civilian grid, so an outage outside the fence line becomes a mission problem inside it. The fix is on-site generation and microgrids that keep the base running when the grid does not. Cordova Electric applies the same standard to everyday service, treating reliability as something a small isolated system builds in deliberately through full undergrounding, hydro, and battery storage.
A co-op leader can use it to think about where reliability investment pays off, whether that is one critical member or the system as a whole. For a co-op with an installation in its territory, the webinar is a starting point for the conversation, explaining how the military defines reliability and what it takes to be seen as a trusted partner. For a co-op without one, Cordova is an example of how decades of undergrounding and incremental generation gains produced a system that held through a three-month snow emergency without a single outage.
Key Takeaways
| › | Three federal vehicles fund base work: utility privatization contracts (up to 50 years), utility energy services contracts, and the Defense Community Infrastructure Program (DCIP). |
| › | Cordova Electric converted its entire distribution system underground and logged only 23 minutes of total outage time in 2025, with planned work as the largest single cause. |
| › | Brunswick EMC built internal capability in batteries, microgrids, and energy management at Sunny Point, then applied that experience to its own distribution system. |
| › | The military installation approaches apply to hospitals, emergency services, schools, and other critical services, though the webinar does not work through those examples specifically. |
Implementation Considerations
- Cost or Funding Requirements: Co-ops cannot pass the cost of serving a base to other members, so the contracting vehicle effectively is the project. Utility privatization transfers ownership of on-base distribution to the co-op. UESC projects require the co-op to front capital and recover it through the government's utility bill savings.
- Staffing or Technology Requirements: Both co-ops relied on outside expertise. Brunswick EMC credited a consultant who understood privatization contracts, statements of work, and contract modifications. Smaller co-ops will likely need consultant support or a statewide partner before approaching an installation.
- Time-Sensitive Information: DCIP appropriations and eligibility shift year to year, so check current program status before building a plan around it.
Notable Examples
- Cordova Electric Cooperative: Isolated Alaska microgrid running 100% underground distribution, hydro, diesel, and battery storage.
- Brunswick Electric Membership Corporation: Holds the utility privatization contract at Sunny Point through 2053, covering the microgrid, solar array, and lightning protection system.
- Military Ocean Terminal Sunny Point: Largest US ocean ammunition terminal, which recently completed a black start exercise with BEMC.
- Converge Strategies: Consulting firm working at the intersection of energy resilience and national defense.
- NRECA: Runs the Regional Defense Summits and a public case study library of co-op and military energy projects.
Estimated viewing time: 60 minutes
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