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.
Often in life, we need to balance the practical with the possible. This is especially so as we navigate the social and political demands to rapidly reduce the amount of carbon emitted from the energy we use.
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.
January is always a good time to take stock of things — to prepare for what’s ahead in the coming year — and often, your electric cooperative finds a long list of upcoming events and things to consider as we try to make sure we’re ready for whatever comes our way. Our list seems to be a little shorter this year, but that doesn’t mean we have less to do or less to worry about. We have some important long-term goals that we need to make progress on to ensure that we can continue to provide the reliable and affordable electric service that you’ve come to expect.
Winter poses a particular set of challenges to your electric cooperative’s commitment to provide members with an uninterrupted supply of power every hour of every day of the year. Winter storms in particular can wreak havoc on electric lines, and often result in longer outage times because icy roads and fallen trees and limbs make it even more difficult to mobilize people and equipment to the areas that are hardest hit. Access to downed lines is slow and tedious, and working conditions that lineworkers face when they arrive to make repairs are often difficult and even dangerous.
For more than 80 years, electric cooperatives — and our business model — have proven to be resilient. In fact, most electric cooperatives are as vibrant and healthy today as at any point in our history. Much of this success can be attributed to the founding principles that electric cooperatives have adhered to through generations of members and cooperative leaders.
