Episodes
71
Latest episode
May 2026
Language
EN
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.
From autonomous drones to smart grid sensors, startups are bringing new tools to rural electric co-ops to strengthen reliability, boost resilience and control costs. In this episode of Power Plays, hear the standout innovations from NRECA’s Startup Alley competition, including ideas from HomeBoost and Pitch Aeronautics.
When a massive new data center load shows up in a local community, who benefits? Who pays? And what safeguards matter most? This episode of Power Plays breaks down the real tradeoffs — rates, reliability, water, noise and emissions — and the “yes-if” strategy one co-op is using to protect members and capture the economic upside.
America’s new grid constraint is not gas supply, but the turbines that convert it to power—largely sold out until the early 2030s. On this episode of Power Plays, gas turbine expert Tom Freeman explores workarounds like aeroderivatives, adapted from jet engines.
Electric co-ops are grappling with rising costs, but members are in no mood for rate hikes. Load growth can help, but it’s not without risks. In this episode of the Power Plays podcast, S&P Global’s David Bodek and CoBank credit leader Rob Galena take a hard look at the landscape and map out co-op financial flexibility.
Relevance, tech awareness and closer ties to changing communities — those are some of the key qualities to seek out in co-op board member recruits. In this episode of Power Plays, Richard Fagerlin and Dr. Keri Jacobs, the hosts of Build Better Boards podcast, advise co-ops to polish their recruitment strategy and clearly frame their value proposition to attract volunteers.
Battery storage is the Swiss Army knife of the grid—it can balance demand and supply and support ancillary services. As the electric industry looks for any and all supply solutions, batteries are an important resource in the grid toolbox. This episode of Power Plays brings together battery deployment insights from a manufacturer, battery storage researcher, G&T executive and large developer.
America’s electric cooperatives are executing a stunning balancing act protecting existing customers, maintaining reliability and serving a surge of large loads driven by data centers. Hear how they are pulling it off in this Power Plays episode. Leaders from Umatilla Electric, Rappahannock Electric, Tri-State Generation & Transmission and NextEra Energy Resources share their candid stories of innovation, risk management and community impact.
Powerline workers’ safety extends far beyond electrocution and falls. In this episode of Power Plays, safety experts Johnie Hendrix and Chad Johnson talk through the importance of supporting crews so they are emotionally and mentally healthy and prepared, on and off the line.
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.
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