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At CFC Forum 2026 in Chula Vista, California, South Texas Electric Cooperative (STEC) General Manager Clif Lange sat down with CFC’s Charlie Gloeckner to discuss how the generation and transmission cooperative is meeting record demand and rapid industry change.
Lange detailed STEC's recent acquisition of two LM6000 gas plants totaling 768 MW, the culmination of a five-year board-led planning process. Buying existing assets removed execution risk and sidestepped tight turbine supply chains. CFC arranged bridge financing in two tranches with flexibility to refinance when conditions are right.
In ERCOT's renewables-saturated market, quick-start capacity is essential, Lange said. It mitigates exposure to price spikes and lets STEC pivot to cheaper renewable power when available.
He also pointed to more than $1 billion in transmission investment underway, including a 345 kV line connecting the Rio Grande Valley to San Antonio.
The bigger shift, Lange said, is from generation-driven change to load-driven change fueled by data centers and artificial intelligence.
His advice to peers: stay ready for opportunities, lean on fellow cooperatives and don't reinvent the wheel.