DPC Hosts 85th Annual Meeting
Dairyland Power Cooperative held its 85th Annual Meeting with the theme, “Building the Bridge: Past to Present to Future.” More than 400 people were in attendance at the La Crosse Center on Tuesday, June 2, including members, guests, and Dairyland employees.
Board Chairman Mark Kingland of Iowa’s Heartland Power Cooperative presided over the meeting. President and CEO Brent Ridge thanked the board for its commitment and vision to “grow, innovate, and deliver value.”
Ridge talked about investments in new generation and transmission to help ensure reliability and lower rates.
NERC: Reliability Risks Are Growing
Camilo Serna, North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) senior vice president of strategy and external engagement, was the featured speaker at Dairyland’s annual meeting. He said the North American electric grid is facing mounting reliability challenges as demand surges, generation resources retire, and infrastructure development struggles to keep pace.
“If you take just one thing away from my presentation, it is that reliability risks are increasing in North America,” Serna said.
Serna praised Dairyland Power Cooperative’s efforts to expand generation resources and transmission infrastructure, saying those investments reflect the type of action needed across North America to meet future reliability needs.
MISO Survey Shows Improved Outlook
New data from the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) suggests there is progress in adding the resources needed to meet growing demand.
According to the latest Organization of MISO States-MISO survey, the region is expected to maintain growing capacity surpluses over the next five years as utilities continue to bring new generation online.
The survey found MISO members are now expected to add an average of 15 gigawatts of accredited summer capacity annually through 2031, nearly double the level projected just one year ago.
Trump Announces $700 Million to Boost “Big, Beautiful Coal”
President Donald Trump announced a nearly $700 million federal initiative aimed at supporting the nation’s coal industry, including funding for coal-fired power plants, coal exports, and related infrastructure projects.
The administration said the funding will help preserve existing coal generation, support upgrades at coal facilities, and advance coal-related infrastructure projects.
The White House said the initiative is expected to support or create more than 14,000 jobs in coal mining, construction, rail transportation, and maritime industries.
Farm Bill Making Progress
Congress is moving closer to passing a long-delayed new Farm Bill. While much of the political debate surrounding the Farm Bill has focused on nutrition assistance and ethanol, electric cooperatives are closely watching funding tied to the USDA Rural Utilities Service, or RUS—the federal agency that provides low-interest loans and grants to electric co-ops.
The “Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026,” passed the House on April 30 by a vote of 224–200. The Senate Agriculture Committee is now working on its version of the bill. The current Farm Bill expires in September.
Sun Badger Solar Owners Face Criminal Charges
The former owners of Wisconsin-based solar installer Sun Badger Solar are now facing felony theft charges after prosecutors say customers paid thousands of dollars for projects that were never completed.
Dane County prosecutors charged Sun Badger Solar founders Trevor Sumner and Kristopher Sipe with multiple felony counts of theft by contractor involving losses between $10,000 and $100,000. The charges stem from complaints by customers who said they paid deposits for solar equipment and installations that were never delivered or finished.
If convicted, the two men could face up to 20 years in prison and fines of up to $50,000.
Wisconsin-Based SHINE Hits Major Milestones in 2026
SHINE Technologies, an advanced nuclear technology company in the race to achieve commercialized fusion technology, has hit some major milestones in the first half of the year. Since the start of the year, Janesville-based SHINE closed a $240 million Series E (venture capital financing) led by Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, acquired the Lantheus (leading radiopharmaceutical-focused company) isotope distribution business, and secured a $263 million conditional loan commitment from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).
SHINE is one of several Wisconsin-based fusion research companies born out of UW-Madison’s nuclear engineering program.
EIA: Expect Record-Breaking Power Use in 2026 and 2027
The Energy Information Administration (EIA) released its Short-Term Energy Outlook on Tuesday and is now predicting U.S. power consumption, which hit its second straight annual record high in 2025, will break records again in 2026 and 2027.
The EIA projects power demand will rise from a record 4,195 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) in 2025 to 4,248 billion kWh in 2026 and 4,379 billion kWh in 2027. The increased demand is due in large part to data centers dedicated to artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency, and also because homes and businesses use more electricity and less fossil fuels for heat and transportation.