POWER LINES
STACKING THE DECK Having the strongest hand of generation sources leads to reliable, affordable energy. BY REBECCA SEUM
In a game of cards, assembling the strongest hand means having the right card to play at the right time. Depending on the situation, the value of each card changes. It might be best to play a jack, to hold a queen for later, or to pull out that ace in the hole. That strategy can be used as an analogy to describe the way Buckeye Power, the generation and transmission provider for Ohio’s electric cooperatives, compiles and uses its generation sources. Providing safe, reliable, affordable power to more than 400,000 Ohio consumer-member households, businesses, and farms means having the strongest hand possible so that Buckeye Power can use the right source at the right time. Each generation source is equally valuable when it’s the right time to play it. Buckeye Power pursues an all-of-the-above generation strategy, taking into consideration cost, reliability, environmental impact, and more when deciding which cards to pick up and which ones to discard. From coal to natural gas to renewable sources, each one is an important part of keeping power flowing to our members. This month, we take a look at the cards in Buckeye Power’s hand.
THE ACE: Cardinal Power Plant Cardinal Power Plant, in Brilliant, Ohio, on the Ohio River, is Buckeye Power’s main baseload source. “Baseload” refers to a plant that is built and designed to run all the time, day and night, seven days a week. That doesn’t mean it’s producing the same amount of energy all the time. Tom Alban, vice president, power generation, of Buckeye Power, says, “Baseload facilities vary their output. There’s a minimum demand and they run to meet that all the time, then ramp up during the day as needed.” This coal-fired plant consists 4 OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • AUGUST 4 OHIO LIVING • AUGUST 2021 2021
