Buddy Hasten spent 20 years running nuclear submarines for the U.S. Navy. Now he's president and CEO of Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corporation (AECC) and he's bringing submarine-grade leadership straight into the boardroom.
On this episode, host Thomas Williamson catches up with Buddy at the Arkansas Electric Cooperatives' Statewide Directors' Conference in Hot Springs, AR for a wide-ranging conversation on leadership under pressure, why "we" beats "they" in a healthy culture, the real mechanics behind rolling blackouts, and the biggest threat to grid reliability. Buddy also breaks down the escalating energy race with China, AI and data centers, what keeps a utility CEO up at night, and why the electric cooperative model still matters.
This episode is presented by Tallman Equipment Company.
Chapters:
(1:53) - Meeting Buddy Hasten in Arkansas
(9:03) - From Rural Iowa to the Navy
(16:38) - Submarine Pressure & the "Carbon Into Diamond" Lesson
(23:40) - Two Kinds of Leadership: War-Fighter vs. Political
(27:45) - The 90/10 Rule for Fast Decisions
(35:51) - Investing in People vs. Infrastructure
(38:41) - Military-Grade Training vs. Utility Training Gaps
(45:36) - Where Grid Reliability Really Starts
(47:54) - The Biggest Threat to the Grid: AI Data Center Demand
(53:26) - How Rolling Blackouts Actually Work
(57:05) - What Keeps a Utility CEO Up at Night
(1:02:05) - The "We vs. They" Mindset
(1:07:15) - The Karma Cake Story
(1:17:40) - The Future of the Co-op Model
(1:27:26) - Advice for a 22-Year-Old Starting Out
(1:39:08) - The Case for a National Energy Policy
(1:40:34) - Legacy for His Grandchildren
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