CoBank energy economist Teri Viswanath interviews energy risk expert Jack Weixel about LNG pull, basis blowouts and conflict risk.
Teri Viswanath is lead economist for power, energy and water in CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange research division. She focuses on the energy industry, including the electric distribution, generation and transmission sectors, as well as the rural water industry. She develops market intelligence, strategic guidance and policy assessments on these key industries to inform CoBank and customer leadership decisions.
Before joining CoBank, Teri was director of corporate strategy for First Solar, where she led the market and competitive intelligence research for the organization including initiating long-term scenario planning to identify evolving market risks in order to manage future uncertainties. She previously held energy economist positions with S&P Global, BNP Paribas, Credit Suisse and Deutsche Bank and began her work in energy with Dynegy, as a power plant asset manager. In all, Teri has more than 20 years of expertise in energy economics, in addition to her early career experience in finance and law.
Teri earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from Central Michigan University and a juris doctorate from Fordham University, and also studied at the University of Texas School of Law.
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A Guide for Serving Large Loads
This practical resource helps electric cooperatives address the unique challenges of integrating large loads.
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U.S. natural gas in a global market
CoBank energy economist Teri Viswanath interviews energy risk expert Jack Weixel about LNG pull, basis blowouts and conflict risk.
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Decades after stranded assets bruised local communities, electricity utilities and regulators are revisiting how to interpret “cost responsibility” for new large loads.
U.S. natural gas prices will soon be set on the global stage
The long-held expectation of “stable, cheap, domestic” natural gas is reaching the end of its lifecycle. At the core of this shift is the growing role of LNG exports in U.S. price formation. A growing winter premium and sharper price swings for U.S. buyers are being driven not by local weather forecasts but by global LNG competition. Infrastructure is not adding certainty. Much of the recent pipeline buildout is designed to move gas toward LNG facilities rather than broadly rebalancing regional U.S. supply.
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Even with historic domestic production, U.S. fuel prices still react quickly to disruptions abroad — especially in the Middle East, the world’s leading region for proven oil reserves and spare production capacity.
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CoBank experts Jeff Johnston and Teri Viswanath outline the details behind key issues they’re watching in 2026.
Reimagining service obligations in an age of mighty prosumers
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A Guide for Serving Large Loads
This digital guide is a practical resource to help electric cooperatives address the unique challenges of integrating large loads. Based on candid interviews, market research and analysis, this guide shows how cooperatives are earning new business and delivering value to their communities—while adopting robust contract structures to protect members from bearing the costs of serving large loads.
Case studies for serving large-load customers, rate design insights and operational risk assessments
A practical guide for electric cooperatives on serving large loads—featuring case studies, rate design insights and strategies to manage cost, risk and grid reliability.
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How electric cooperatives define service obligations for data centers—covering rate design, retail choice, risk mitigation and equitable cost allocation.
Earning the business by demonstrating network value
How Umatilla Electric Cooperative serves large data center loads with cost certainty, timely connections and fair rate design—without shifting risk to legacy members.
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