Power reliability should be priority in energy policy discussions

Over the past two months, I and other cooperative leaders in Ohio engaged our elected leaders at the Ohio Statehouse and in Washington D.C. to discuss our concerns over power reliability and the impact it will have on our communities.

I know you rely on the power we provide, 24/7, 365 days a year—our lives, and livelihoods, depend on it. For the first time since neighbors came together to form electric co-ops in the 1930s, the reliability of power is at risk.

Buckeye Power, our generation and transmission provider, generates enough power for all 400,000 members of Ohio’s electric cooperatives, but we depend on the larger grid to balance supply and demand for electricity.  Your cooperative works hard every day to ensure the local delivery system is reliable through planned maintenance programs and responsive service to local power outages.

It’s important you understand why power reliability is at risk.

•  Demand for electricity is higher than ever, especially during extreme cold and hot weather, and with the growing electrification of our transportation network.

•  The supply of reliable electricity is down due to the rapid retirement of coal and nuclear plants. In 2009, Ohio had 21 coal plants and by the end of 2023 just 4 will remain in operation. Intermittent sources such as wind and solar power have come online but haven’t filled the gap, and aren’t reliable 24/7, 365.

•  Overreaching and unreasonable environmental regulations that result in unnecessarily high costs and provide only minimal environmental benefits.

•  Poorly designed electricity market rules that under-compensate reliable baseload power plants that provide steady, controllable output, while over-compensating less reliable, intermittent sources.

•  Unreasonable goals and time frames to achieve greater reductions in carbon emissions from electricity providers, even though the U.S. electric sector has cut CO2 emissions by 36% since 2005 while producing nearly 5% more electricity.

•  Supply chain challenges have resulted in unreasonable lead times on obtaining new transformers and line trucks we use for local service.

Organizations charged with ensuring a reliable electric grid (North American Electric Reliability Corporation, nerc.com) and (PJM Interconnection, pjm.com), which manages Ohio’s grid, have each published reports of concerning trends causing increased reliability risks.  They point out rolling blackouts, like those experienced in Texas, California, nine Midwest states, and threatened in Ohio in December 2023, are inevitable without an immediate change in energy policy.

For 87 years, the mission of your cooperative has been to deliver reliable, safe, environmentally responsible electricity at stable and affordable rates, to the member owners of the local communities we serve—our commitment has never wavered but is being challenged because of poorly conceived and harmful energy policies.

Please help us carry the message to our state and local elected leaders that you support common sense energy policy.

John Metcalf,
President & CEO, Mid-Ohio Energy Cooperative