Bob Barnes knows how to adjust to changing tides. His dad was a career Navy-man, and Barnes himself spent time in the Navy, honing expertise on gas turbines. Now he goes with the flow as Hoosier Energy’s Combined Cycle Generation Operation Manager. Barnes recently spoke with GridLines about his life and his…
Part of leadership is evolving and maturing over time. That’s the case for the Hoosier Energy Executive Leadership Development (HEELD) program, which displayed its latest evolution in 2024 as an 11-person class became the sixth to graduate, bringing the total number over the past 14 years to 70. Those who completed the 2024…
Nobody in the village of Palmira, Guatemala, has waited longer to see the light than Juliana Lopez Aguilar. The 105-year-old woman shed tears of joy after Project Indiana lineworkers installed electricity at her home for the first time on February 5, 2025. And Aguilar wasn’t the only one. A total of 197 families…
Mentors make a difference. They certainly did for the first two 2025 recipients of the W. Eugene Roberts and Daniel L. Schuckman Memorial Scholarships from Hoosier Energy. The scholarship total is being expanded this year with Hoosier Energy anticipating awarding two scholarships each semester to attendees at the North American Lineman Training Center in…
Medical emergencies can happen anywhere. On January 15, it happened at the Hoosier Energy Power Delivery Operations Center (PDOC) in Spencer. A contractor was complaining of chest pain that ran from the sternum to between the shoulders. In less than five minutes, a trio of Hoosier Energy employees were on the scene…
This January, Decatur County REMC saw the fulfillment of nearly two years of preparation with the official launch of PowerStream Fiber. CEO Brett Abplanalp made the announcement on January 17 at the Decatur County REMC community room. “Just as we brought power to our rural communities 87 years ago, it’s only fitting that…
Communication is key. New microwave towers are helping to optimize the reliability of Hoosier Energy’s communication system in infrastructure and operations. The latest to be completed is the Bedford Tower, which in December followed on the heels of new towers at Bloomington Primary and Kingston. Next up will be a new tower at…
Bear Run Mine in Sullivan County is the biggest surface mine in the eastern United States. When the mine was ready to move west early in 2024, it was a big job for Hoosier Energy to move a 69 kV transmission line out of the way. Originally built in April of 1969, the…
Almost a year and a half ago, Hoosier Energy member cooperative staff began taking Certified Key Account Executive (CKAE) courses. As the number of cooperative staff certified began to grow – now numbering 21 across 13 of Hoosier Energy’s 18 members – the most daunting question for many was how to get started. …
Indiana’s electric cooperatives seek to collectively invoke the cooperative principle of concern for community on the second Friday of each October. In 2024, October 11 was designated as Community Day. A total of 16 Hoosier Energy member cooperatives took part in the annual event – some on that day, some before and some after.…
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