Pat O'Loughlin

Every so often, we are reminded of the raw power of — and our relative helplessness against — the forces of nature. Throughout Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina, communities are still coming to grips with the devastation wrought in late September and early October by the one-two punch of hurricanes Helene and Milton, two of the more powerful and damaging storms of the past few decades. 

The utter destruction there is difficult to fathom. Recovery will take months, and even years in some communities.

Our nation’s workforce has experienced significant shifts these past few years as a new generation of workers and leaders has started taking the place of aging baby boomers like myself. Now, as I prepare for my upcoming retirement in early January, I’m in the process of turning over the leadership of Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives and Buckeye Power to our next president and CEO. 

Cooperation Among Cooperatives, one of the foundational principles that guide cooperatives everywhere, is especially important to electric cooperatives. It’s easy to see why: When we step back and look at the amazing accomplishments that have been achieved by relatively small, locally owned electric co-ops, we realize that they have always been better when they work together than when they try to go it alone. By focusing on our common interests, as opposed to our differing ideas, we have been able to succeed and even to thrive through changing times.

Every year for decades, the planet has used more energy than the year before, spurred largely by the improving standard of living in developing areas. At the same time, the world has tried to move away from fossil fuel dependence and toward renewable sources in the worthwhile hopes of reducing environmental impact and gaining more independence from supply sources that are unreliable or unfriendly (or both). New energy supply technologies, therefore, always attract plenty of attention.

Until recently, the demand for electricity in the United States has been mostly steady, growing a little less than 4% over the past 20 years. Constant improvement in the efficiency of home appliances, air conditioning and heating systems, light bulbs, even electronic chargers, combined with an “offshoring” of many industrial facilities, largely offset the increase in demand that came from an influx of new homes and electric-powered innovations.

Today, however, things look dramatically different.  

The United States Environmental Protection Agency’s new rule on greenhouse gas emissions from power plants will, if implemented, have severe negative consequences not only for Ohio but for our entire nation.

The rule requires existing coal-fired power plants to nearly eliminate the carbon dioxide they emit by first capturing the carbon that’s produced when coal burns and then pumping it deep underground. The rule requires compliance by Jan. 1, 2032. 

Every year as winter fades, spring brings the promise of a refresh to our landscape. This year, spring also has brought several deadly tornadoes and strong storms, and Ohio’s electric cooperatives continue to assist in the rebuilding of devastated communities and pray for those who have suffered great loss.

EPRI has been at the forefront of research to determine pathways that may someday lead to achieving dramatically lower carbon emissions that could meet the stated goals of many nations, organizations, and businesses around the world. 

In my time on the board at EPRI, I’ve gotten a behind-the-scenes look at how our industry has been grappling with the many issues and concerns of rapid carbon emission reductions and identifying pathways that would allow us to meet those social and political demands. Among those concerns:

The integrated electric network that brings power to your home or business is a technical marvel. That network manages the flow of electrons, traveling at the speed of light, from the massive generation stations that produce them to towns and cities, to homes and businesses across the country. 

Much of what makes this system work goes unnoticed. Of course, everyone sees the poles, wires, and transformers that connect every neighborhood up and down nearly every roadway, or the few large generating stations that produce the power we distribute.