According to a November 2023 report from The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), Ohio and much of the eastern United States are at an elevated risk for energy emergencies and rolling blackouts during extreme temperatures this winter. As your cooperative, we are committed to providing you with safe, reliable, and affordable energy. While we are doing everything we can to ensure that your lights stay on, there are some factors outside of our control.
As temperatures go down, energy use goes up, increasing the strain on the electric grid in our region. While Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives have more than enough energy to meet the growing needs of our members, we rely on the larger electric grid to deliver that energy to you. Check out our Energy Policy Resources to learn more about reliability and affordability concerns, and what we’re doing to advocate for you.
If Ohio co-ops have enough energy, why are we still at-risk for blackouts?
While we own and operate our local distribution lines, substations, and other equipment, the electric grid as a whole is managed on a regional level. Grid operators like PJM – the organization that coordinates the movement of electricity in Ohio and surrounding states – work to keep the grid safe, balanced, and reliable.
When demand for electric energy is too high – because demand is greater than the grid’s transmission abilities or because there is not enough energy available – grid operators can require utility providers like us to systematically cut power to prevent widespread, uncontrolled outages or full grid blackouts.
Rolling blackouts are a last resort that will only occur if absolutely necessary. However, we cannot control if or when they occur, and they may come with little or no warning. While electric co-ops across the nation are pushing for energy policy reform that helps make the grid more reliable, we have to be prepared for blackouts until that reform comes.