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Power Plays

CoBank
Data Centers
Electric Cooperatives
Battery Energy Storage
Gas Turbines
Cobank
Guadalupe Valley Electric Cooperative
Leadership
Mental Health
Power Grid Reliability
Aeroderivatives
Manufacturing Backlog
Cooperatives
Younger Directors
Texas
ERCOT
Virtual Power Plant
Safety
Reliability
Emotional Intelligence
Line Workers

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.

PublishesMonthlyEpisodes72Founded5 years ago
Number of ListenersCategory
Business

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Artwork for Power Plays

Latest Episodes

Midyear is the right time for a reality check — fromstrengthening the grid to managing the impacts of inflation, global uncertaintyand evolving regulations, electric cooperatives are actively adapting to a hostof challenges. This episode of Power Pla... more

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 A... more

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”... more

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 ... more

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 tak... more

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... more

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 episod... more

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. Lea... more

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Recent Guests

Ian Gibson
Co-founder of Pitch Aeronautics
Pitch Aeronautics
Episode: The startups shaping the future of rural electric service
Holly Eagleson
Founder of FireScape
FireScape
Episode: The startups shaping the future of rural electric service
Selena Tabakawala
Founder of HomeBoost
HomeBoost
Episode: The startups shaping the future of rural electric service
Ari Brown
Founder of Bellwether
Bellwether
Episode: The startups shaping the future of rural electric service
Lucas Fikes
Executive with the Data Center Coalition
Data Center Coalition
Episode: Powering the cloud while protecting communities
Shawn Middleton
Engineer and CEO/President
Rural Electric Convenience Cooperative
Episode: Powering the cloud while protecting communities
Tom Freeman
Former GE-Vernova gas-turbine executive turned gas-turbine coach
CoBank (guest)
Episode: Waiting on watts: The gas turbine backlog straining the grid
David Bodek
Managing Director, S&P Global Ratings, Electric Cooperative and Utility Division
S&P Global Ratings
Episode: How electric co-ops can flex with credit headwinds
Rob Galena
Leads Power, Energy, and Utilities credit group at CoBank
CoBank
Episode: How electric co-ops can flex with credit headwinds

Hosts

Teri Viswanath
Host of Power Plays; Energy Economist at CoBank Knowledge Exchange; Co-host
Tamara Reynolds
Co-host; Managing Director at CoBank; Host of Power Plays

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

The CEO Learning Curve
Q: Katherine, what would you say is your biggest surprise in the first 90 days stepping into the CEO role?
The transition can be smoother than expected when there is strong support from the board and employees, reinforcing that honest communication and having a capable team behind you matters most in the early leadership phase.
The CEO Learning Curve
Q: Tom, thinking about your career and looking back over your career, what leadership principles have stood the test of time for you?
A core principle is building relationships through face-to-face conversations, hiring for attitude over resume, and giving people room to learn from mistakes while maintaining accountability to the co-op's mission.
How Much is Your Co-op’s Broadband Worth—And What Comes Next?
Q: Who are the likely buyers for cooperative broadband networks?
Likely buyers are regional fiber operators, local ILECs, or private equity-backed sponsors; large national carriers like T-Mobile or Verizon are less likely to pursue such assets due to size and strategic fit.
How Much is Your Co-op’s Broadband Worth—And What Comes Next?
Q: What motivates broadband co-ops to sell, beyond just valuations?
Motivations include managing competitive pressure, refocusing on core governance, and capitalizing on favorable, though aging, valuations; some operators also want to avoid ongoing costs and risk if the business is not meeting projections.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Power Plays

What is Power Plays about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Power Plays centers on the U.S. power and energy sector with a focus on rural electric cooperatives, grid resilience, and the economics of large-scale energy infrastructure. Across episodes, conversations frequently explore how technology, policy, and financing intersect to improve reliability and affordability for co-ops, including topics like data centers' impact on grids, workforce safety and mental health, battery storage and long-duration technologies, turbine supply chains, and governance. A distinctive throughline is the practical, operator-focused lens: pilots, deployments, rate design, and governance strategies are discussed alongside real-world case studies and lender or rating insights. This mix of technical detail, financial per... more

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How many listeners does Power Plays get?

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How many subscribers and views does Power Plays have?

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Which podcasts are similar to Power Plays?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Power Plays:

1. CFC Solutions Cast
2. Along Those Lines
3. All Day Digital
4. Solutions Economic and Market Watch
5. Touchstone Energy Seven on 7

How many episodes of Power Plays are there?

Power Plays launched 5 years ago and published 72 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Power Plays?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

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Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Power Plays from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

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What guests have appeared on Power Plays?

Recent guests on Power Plays include:

1. Ian Gibson
2. Holly Eagleson
3. Selena Tabakawala
4. Ari Brown
5. Lucas Fikes
6. Shawn Middleton
7. Tom Freeman
8. David Bodek

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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