The rapid development of large electricity load sources, like data centers and industrial facilities, is increasing demand for electricity across the United States. Few entities in the energy system experience this pressure as acutely as rural electric cooperatives (co-ops), which tend to have less dense service territories with fewer ratepayers than larger investor-owned utilities or municipal utilities. However, there has been little research to date on how electricity demand growth might impact rural co-op operations.Led by scholars at North Carolina State University and the University of Minnesota, in partnership with the Smart Electric Power Alliance, this project explores the challenges and opportunities for rural co-ops as they respond to rapid electricity demand growth. First, the researchers will investigate how demand growth patterns have varied across co-op service territories over the past few decades. Second, the team will analyze the different strategies that rural co-ops have adopted in response to increased electricity demand, holding focus groups with staff from three generation and transmission co-ops to better understand how they prioritize their electricity growth management strategies. Lastly, they will examine three case studies in more detail to uncover how institutional and governance structures impact rural co-op decision-making and adoption of electricity growth management strategies. The team will produce academic scholarship along with materials designed at informing stakeholder practices and decision-making.