“Right now, what we’re doing is a voluntary effort to introduce more renewable energy to our portfolio in a way that doesn’t increase overall costs, but still satisfies the demand we have from some members who want to have more renewable energy in their supply,” says Craig Grooms, Buckeye Power’s vice president of engineering and operations.
‘Energy accounting’ When energy enters the electric grid, there’s no way to distinguish solar energy from that generated by coal. Electric providers can’t send solar-generated electrons to one member’s house and those generated by coal to another. “It’s essentially a matter of energy accounting,” Grooms says. “We put energy on the grid, measure it, and get paid for it. Consumers use electricity from the grid, have a meter that measures it, and they’re charged for that amount. In that equation, you can’t tell where it comes from.” What providers like Buckeye Power can do, however, is to adjust the percentage of energy from different sources that’s put out onto the grid — when the sun is shining, for example, more can come from solar panels; when it’s dark or cloudy, more must come from coal. As opposed to individually purchased rooftop panels, which require a substantial up-front investment from a consumer — an investment that usually is financed at payments much larger than most electric bills — the OurSolar program lets consumer-members pay a small
premium on their electric bill to assure that a larger percentage of energy on the grid comes from solar panels. “OurSolar opens the benefits of solar generation to anyone who receives an electric bill, including lowerincome residents, businesses, municipalities, schools, and nonprofits,” says Pat O’Loughlin, president and CEO of Buckeye Power. “It gives members a lower-cost, more convenient option, compared to on-site solar.”
The subscription question Individual cooperatives offer the opportunity for their members to participate in the OurSolar program in different ways. Some offer subscriptions that can be purchased by individual members, others provide it as a resource to all members. There’s no clear-cut “best” way to increase solar energy production; those decisions — like all co-op decisions — are made by local boards and management on behalf of and in the best interests of the membership. Ultimately, the program reflects the cooperatives’ dedication to their most important objective. “Ohio’s electric cooperatives will not waiver from our mission to supply affordable, reliable, and environmentally responsible power to our members,” O’Loughlin says. “Our decisions regarding the generation sources and the integration of renewable energy now and into the future can’t consider only one or two of those objectives; they have to meet all three.”
Percentage of Buckeye Power’s renewable generation from various sources Ohio’s co-ops take a balanced approach to renewable energy. While continuing to support and utilize affordable coal-fired generation for the bulk of their power, Buckeye Power and its member cooperatives have made significant investments in renewable energy on behalf of Ohio co-op families.
75.2% Hydropower 55 MW 13.1% 6.1%
Landfill gas 9.6 MW Anaerobic digesters/biogas 4.45 MW
5.6% Solar 4.1 MW* *Upon completion of OurSolar Phase 2 next summer
6 OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • OCTOBER 2021
