A Winning Approach
Thomas W. Howard, CEO/General Manager
It’s March Madness season! Whether you are a college basketball superfan, love filling out a tournament bracket or know someone passionate about the sport, we can all agree there is an energy and excitement surrounding the season. The beauty of basketball is how a team works together with unified goals in mind. The goals might be winning a game, being crowned conference champion or earning the title of national champion.
You might not realize it, but basketball teams and energy providers have a lot in common. Day in and day out, the unified goal of the Callaway Electric Cooperative team is to provide you with reliable energy service at an affordable price. Here are some ways a basketball team and your electric cooperative team are similar.
Skills and resources for a winning combination
The winningest basketball teams in history are ones that are consistent and have players with varying abilities. Some are better at shooting three-pointers, some are best at defense. Having a balanced mix of skills makes the team a powerhouse on the court. The way to keep electricity reliable is a bit like that, too.
The power team, which comes from our generation cooperative, first requires a foundation of consistent sources that can be put in the game – or called upon – whenever needed, regardless of weather, time of day or season. Having enough “always available” fuel sources like natural gas and coal can ensure consistent power generation.
Just like a team needs different players for different situations, our power grid requires multiple sources to keep the grid running. Relying solely on one player to win every game is not an effective strategy – if they get injured, you’ll likely lose. Similarly, using a single fuel source for electricity generation poses a significant risk to energy reliability. Natural disasters, geopolitical tensions or unforeseen disruptions can severely impact the supply chain of a particular fuel.
Diversity is the competitive advantage
A diverse mix of energy sources acts as a safeguard, ensuring that the grid remains operational despite unexpected challenges. Across the nation, consumers have experienced the downside of relying too much on one generation source. When Winter Storm Uri dumped massive amounts of snow and frigid temperatures on Texas in 2021, the state’s overreliance on wind generation was a key factor that led to blackouts. This lesson created cascading impacts across many states and led to sweeping regulatory implications. The adage of not putting all your eggs in one basket – or relying solely on one team asset – is important when it comes to ensuring electric reliability.
A diverse energy mix also enhances grid flexibility by accommodating the intermittent nature of renewable energy sources like solar and wind. Think of solar power like a team’s inconsistent three-point shooter. It’s fantastic when the sun shines, but what if it’s nighttime or a cloudy day? That’s where the other players, like wind, hydro, nuclear, natural gas and coal, can step up and keep the team scoring. Teams call it bench strength. Electric cooperatives call it being diligent about our primary purpose, which is to keep the lights on for the members we serve. To do this, we must keep these generation assets suited up and available to bring in when needed. If reliable and always-available power generation is forced off the team through ill-conceived policies that aren’t in the best interests of the member-consumers we serve, it will likely lead to having to forfeit reliable and affordable electric service. No one wins under that scenario.
Drawing up a sustainable and winning strategy
The electric grid’s stability and reliability depend on diverse energy sources that each contribute to keeping the lights on. The different sources have varying characteristics, including generation patterns, responsiveness and storage capabilities. This diversity allows for a more balanced and resilient energy system that can adapt to fluctuating demand and unforeseen circumstances. Having a mix of these energy sources is like having a team with different skills to handle various situations and scenarios.
A diverse set of energy sources is essential, but that’s not the only thing we need to have reliable electricity – or a winning team. Basketball teams are always trying out new plays or training rookies to create a versatile lineup. Similarly, electric cooperatives are constantly innovating to maintain reliability and affordability for tomorrow. But creating new ways to make our power sources more efficient and reliable takes time, money and advances in technology that aren’t necessarily ready yet.
The key to keeping our electricity reliable is ensuring we don’t lose our diverse “team” of fuels prematurely. The true definition of a winning strategy is keeping always-available resources like coal, natural gas and nuclear in the starting lineup.