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Welcome to Power Plays, a podcast series dedicated to the U.S. power and energy sector. Hosted by Teri Viswanath, lead energy economist with CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange division, Power Plays connects you with top energy and environmental innovators, policy makers and rural electric cooperative executives for timely insights and in-depth market analysis.
63 Episodes
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Leading an electric co-op mean faster decisions, a positive work culture and reliable service. In this episode of Power Plays, CEOs Tom Howard and Katherine Domingue share what comes with the top role, and point to the importance of safety, trust and communication. Hear how they’ve led through crises and their advice for future leaders.
After building out broadband, electric cooperatives’ next step is to assess it value – and maybe sell or divest, if an opportunity presents itself. As market dynamics shift and operational demands evolve, this episode of Power Plays offer advice to co-ops weighing financial returns against mission alignment and long-term sustainability.
The cost and time to build a new power plant has increased dramatically. Essential equipment lead times are long, and technical labor is scarce. In this episode of Power Plays, Gavin McCollam with Basin Electric shares how his North Dakota G&T cooperative is addressing reliability, meeting project timelines and building new generation for the next generation.
Since Winter Storm Uri left Texans in the dark four years ago, electric cooperatives and their members have actively pursued ways to harden the grid and increase community resiliency. In this episode of Power Plays, Will Nichols with Guadalupe Valley Electric Cooperative describes how its pilot project uses battery storage and other controllable devices to provide dispatchable generation.
The largest grid operator in the U.S., PJM, has more than 3,000 active projects in its interconnection queue, more than four other ISOs combined. And it used to be easy to build in Texas, but ERCOT is facing the same challenges as other regions. Spearmint Energy’s Andrew Waranch and Gina Wolf examine the nuances of building ISO supply in this episode of Power Plays.
Why exactly is the middle of the U.S. running out of power? In this episode of Power Plays, Spearmint Energy’s Andrew Waranch and Gina Wolf examine building new supply with MISO and SPP. In these two regions, new generation project queues are lengthy and community opposition is high. We look at what it will take to build back a safe reserve of supply for consumers.
The popularity of solar panels and EVs shows DERs are here to stay, and proactive utilities are integrating them into their portfolios. In this episode of Power Plays, leaders with San Isabel Electric and Tri-State share how they are tapping into their co-op roots by connecting members with reputable contractors and offering on-bill financing and dynamic member education.
Electric co-ops are preparing for their toughest planning cycle yet as large loads threaten to overwhelm the system. In this episode of Power Plays, energy expert Kush Patel, a senior partner with E3, shares what lessons utilities should take away from Virginia’s rapid expansion of data centers.
Need fresh ideas to boost your co-op broadband business? Ozarks Electric and United Electric share practical advice in this episode of Power Plays, explaining how data analytics drive their strategies to retain broadband customers and increase fiber business profitability.
Electricity demand is growing, weather events are worsening, and variable renewables make up a larger share of supply. The grid needs flexible generating resources. But with a years-out supply chain, where do we turn? Two manufacturers of flexible generating technology – Wärtsilä and Mainspring Energy – outline innovation and options for co-ops in this episode of Power Plays.
From providing vital safety and education programs to speaking with one voice, the statewide associations representing electric co-ops strengthen and unify members and their communities. This episode of Power Plays celebrates National Cooperative Month with association CEOs from Minnesota, Missouri and Arizona who share how they’re shaping electricity in their states.
As Amazon has set consumers’ expectations and COVID changed workers’ expectations, running an electric co-op demands nimble leadership and innovation. In this episode of Power Plays, two authors of a new Rural Electric Management Development Council white paper share how they’ve taken charge of their co-ops’ destinies.
We’ve all seen scary headlines portraying an overwhelmed electric grid on the brink of collapse. But there is optimism and opportunity. Offering up specific solutions, Larry Bekkedahl with Portland General Electric and Jeff Smith with EPRI explain in this episode of Power Plays how to the industry can meet the challenge.
Consumers in different regions of the U.S. are paying vastly different prices for natural gas — the consequence of notoriously slow pipeline projects. In this episode of Power Plays, Bethel King and Dr. Robert Brooks, principal researchers at RBAC, explain the primary regional drivers that will influence the price you’ll pay for natural gas.
When the largest commercial real estate company in the world says power is the No. 1 priority for data center operators — and they’re coming to rural America — we’re all ears. Pat Lynch, CBRE’s global head of data center solutions, joins CoBank’s Chris Shaffner and Jackie Bove on this episode of Power Plays to discuss planning, financing, credit, and the related balancing act for electric distribution cooperatives.
Where are utilities finding the greatest value for their AI investments? Using concrete examples from their own co-ops, Jason Bowling of Sulphur Springs Valley Electric Cooperative in Arizona and Chris VanLokeren of North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives share how they are making better decisions, faster.
A decade ago, rampant predictions assumed solar and battery storage would render the century-old electric utility business model obsolete and trigger a “utility death spiral.” But the reality is just the opposite. In this episode of Power Plays, leaders of Middle Tennessee Electric and Tennessee Valley Authority explain how they are using DER to transform their regional grid.
After demonstrating clean energy projects can succeed in rural areas, NRECA is putting more partnerships into practice. Its CARED project is creating a consortium of seven rural co-ops ops — including Minnesota Valley Electric — to deploy microgrids. In this episode of Power Plays, NRECA’s Tolu Omotoso explains how the DOE-funded project will create solutions hundreds of co-ops can scale and replicate.
Climbing electricity demand is forcing utilities to make weighty investment decisions – at the same time interest rates and inflation have hit 50-year highs. In this episode of Power Plays, CoBank thought leaders JT Parker, Matt Hale and Justin Merkowitz give their 2024 outlook, from balancing new demand to the changing nature of assets and new approaches to managing interest rate risk.
Artificial intelligence is poised to revolutionize the power utility space, enhancing efficiency, reliability, and environmental impact. In this episode, power utility AI experts from NVIDIA, EPRI and Utilidata explore emerging opportunities, from predictive maintenance and optimized energy generation to boosting grid management and developing smart grids.
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