Power Plays

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 expansive future with EVs. Listen to Teri’s discussion with Brian Sloboda, director of consumer services at NRECA, and Regi Goodale, director of regulatory affairs at Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives, for insights on strategic EV initiatives.

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 of Texas, and Paul Griffin, executive director of Energy Fairness and former senior government affairs advisor for Tri-State Generation & Transmission Association

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 respected globally for his understanding of the PV value chain, from materials supply to downstream project development.

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 this episode of Power Plays, CoBank’s Teri Viswanath visits with Steve Vavrik, CEO of Broad Reach Power, an independent producer at the forefront of battery storage development in the Lone Star State.

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: siting, sizing, stacking, and (bid) strategy. Then, Christian Powell, energy regulatory affairs director at Pedernales Electric Cooperative, joins the podcast to offer specific insights for electric cooperatives.

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, research and analysis director, IHS Markit, to understand what's motivating companies to voluntarily invest billions of dollars in new wind and solar projects.