Power Plays

Around 15,000 fully electric or hybrid electric vehicles were traveling American roads in 2011; today that number exceeds 2 million and is accelerating rapidly. But is the U.S. power grid ready to meet the expanding charging needs? In this episode, CoBank’s Teri Viswanath and Tamra Reynolds are joined by a cast of experts to discuss the state of EV readiness in the U.S. Guests include Brian Slobod...

Recorded in the CoBank booth at the NRECA Annual Conference, in this episode of Power Plays CoBank’s Teri Viswanath talks with Dave Hurst, energy services manager with Ford Motor Company. He reveals what the company has learned as it embraces the EV market. Plus, Dr. Gil Tal, director of the Electric Vehicle Research Center at UC Davis, unpacks the factors ahead for EV adoption – including manufac...

The future of automobiles is clearly electric, and rural cooperatives across the U.S. are plugging in to ensure their communities are equipped with a robust EV charging infrastructure. In this episode, CoBank’s Teri Viswanath and Tamra Reynolds visit with Nate Boettcher, CEO of Pierce Pepin Cooperative Services in Wisconsin. Boettcher also serves as president of CHARGE EV, a coalition of nearly 70...

Crypto currency mining operations are known as massive energy consumers. So how should electric utilities evaluate this new class of consumers when they ask for service? In this episode of Power Plays, CoBank’s Teri Viswanath and Tamra Reynolds interview an A-team of experts: journalist Jael Holzman with E&E News who covers crypto currency; former utility and power executive Steve Wright, who...

To keep a house comfortable and the temperature stable, the key is to trickle in the right amount of heating or cooling, instead of blasting it – like a shower instead of a bucket of water. In this episode, CoBank’s Teri Viswanath and Tamra Reynolds speak with Nate Adams, author of The Home Comfort Book, co-founder of HVAC 2.0, and a partner of Energy Smart Home Performance. Learn how HVAC equipme...

A decade ago, many referred to grid-connected energy storage as a solution without a problem. Now we know it's the enabler of the grid of the future. In this episode, CoBank’s Teri Viswanath and Tamra Reynolds speak with two battery storage industry leaders. Chris Wright, executive director of the energy storage practice for E3 Consulting, is a veteran battery storage developer. Dr. Peter Muhoro i...

In this episode of Power Plays, CoBank’s Teri Viswanath and Tamra Reynolds celebrate National Co-op Month by sharing stories of innovation and resilience from five electric co-ops across the country. From keeping the heat on during the worst of a winter storm to providing internet service to customer-members in need, these stories will inspire.

MidSouth Electric Cooperative of Navasota, Texas experienced the worst of what winter storm Uri had to offer last February. But the co-op’s years of preparation and dedicated customer outreach minimized service disruptions. In this episode of Power Plays, CoBank’s Tamra Reynolds speaks with CEO Kerry Kelton to learn how the co-op’s efforts paid off when it mattered most.

Mohave Electric Cooperative listened to its members, and recently added broadband internet services through an innovative partnership with TWN Communications. In this bonus track of Power Plays, CoBank’s Tamra Reynolds speaks with Tyler Carlson, CEO of Mohave Electric, and Ami Rodriguez, VP of sales, marketing and business development at TWN Communications, to learn about why this strategic partne...

Five years ago, Kit Carson Electric Cooperative launched a multifaceted member engagement initiative to determine what types of energy offerings and other services its communities were seeking. That engagement led the co-op to transform its business model to meet emerging member preferences including more renewable energy sources, broadband and electric vehicle charging. In this episode of Power P...

Vermont Electric Cooperative has committed to procuring a zero-carbon emission power supply by 2023. In this bonus track of Power Plays, CoBank’s Teri Viswanath and Tamra Reynolds speak with Rebecca Towne, CEO of Vermont Electric, to learn more about how the initiative fits within the co-op’s long-term strategy and how co-op members are embracing the transition to cleaner energy sources. Towne als...

Roanoke Electric Cooperative is participating in a ground-breaking pilot program designed to test vehicle-to-grid (V2G) capability. The program brings together a diverse group of collaborators with a vested interest in the potential value of emerging V2G technology. In this episode of Power Plays, CoBank’s Tamra Reynolds speaks with Curtis Wynn, CEO of Roanoke Electric, to learn more about its rol...

As more consumers produce and store electricity at home, the traditional relationship between electric cooperatives and their members is shifting. Trico Electric embraced the changing marketplace and is helping members on the solar adoption journey. In this episode, CoBank’s Teri Viswanath and Tamra Reynolds talk with Trico Electric’s Eric Hawkins and Laree St. Onge to learn how a flexible outlook...

Renewable energy’s success hinges not only on generation, but also on storage - so it’s available when we need it. That’s where batteries come in. In this episode, CoBank’s Teri Viswanath and Tamra Reynolds are joined by Simon Price, CEO of Exawatt, to explore what’s ahead for both EV and stationary batteries. From the promise of sodium and iron as battery materials, to the difficulty of getting t...

Rural electric cooperatives have developed some of the largest and most advanced renewable energy projects in the country. To maintain that momentum, rural communities need to find strategies that ensure clean energy transition happens with them, not to them. In this episode, CoBank’s Teri Viswanath and Tamra Reynolds speak with two policy experts to understand how clean energy can be equitably de...

Austin Energy built one of the most comprehensive and successful electric vehicle programs in the country. In this episode of Power Plays, CoBank’s Teri Viswanath and Tamra Reynolds speak with Karl Popham, manager of electric vehicles and emerging technologies at Austin Energy. Popham spearheaded the utility’s EV program, which launched in 2011 and today includes 30 separate initiatives how to eng...

Electric vehicle sales are on the rise in the U.S. and could make up 10% of all new car sales by 2025. From lower operating costs to more model options, rural consumers are seeing the upside of EV ownership. In this episode of Power Plays, CoBank’s Teri Viswanath visits with two industry leaders to discuss the practical steps rural electric cooperatives might consider as they plan for a more expan...

There is plenty of blame to go around for the Texas power outages this past winter. But what role, if any, did deregulation have? In this episode of Power Plays, CoBank’s Teri Viswanath and Tamra Reynolds visit with two leading policy experts for their insights: Dr. Michael E. Webber, chief science and technology officer at ENGIE and Josey Centennial Professor of Energy Resources at The University...

Over the last decade, the solar industry has benefitted from the fastest pace of technology innovation and cost declines within the energy sector. Solar technology costs have dropped roughly 90%, fueling nearly ten-fold growth globally. In this episode of Power Plays, CoBank’s Teri Viswanath takes a deep dive into solar technology innovation with Simon Price, CEO of UK-based Exawatt. Price is resp...

Battery storage developers have largely steered clear of the ERCOT market in recent years. Instead, they’ve focused on California and other places that offer long-term offtake agreements with utilities. But Texas offers benefits the wind industry has long appreciated: relatively easy land acquisition and permitting, and a market that batteries can enter without waiting for major policy changes. In...

Battery storage is entering the electricity scene at an extraordinary pace. The energy industry is looking closely at the technologies and economics of stand-alone storage options and renewable energy pairing opportunities. In this episode of Power Plays, CoBank’s Teri Viswanath visits with Dr. Gary Dorris, CEO of Ascend Analytics to examine four “S” factors critical to battery profitability: siti...

The United States continues to be the largest market for corporate driven renewable power purchase agreements. IHS Markit's most recent estimate anticipates the corporate sector will account for approximately 20% of its utility scale renewable additions in the U.S. in the next decade. In this inaugural episode of Power Plays recorded in December, CoBank’s Teri Viswanath visits with Anna Shpitsberg...