The people powering our lives

When we think about the people keeping our lights on, most of us think of the lineworkers who build, maintain, and repair the power lines running through our communities. Behind the scenes, though, it takes another crew of dedicated men and women to keep that power flowing — and that’s something we can all appreciate as we sit in our air-conditioned homes during the hot and humid “dog days” of summer.

Buckeye Power, the generation cooperative founded by all of Ohio’s electric distribution cooperatives, owns and operates three large (and quite different) power plants that produce the electricity we consume. Nearly 300 people work at those plants to make sure we can put electricity onto the grid the instant it’s needed. Their roles vary, but their mission is very much the same: to produce electricity in a safe, reliable, cost-competitive, and environmentally responsible way. The plants are led by a pair of managers who bring all those roles together to accomplish that mission — a complicated task, to be sure. Check out our story on page 4 to get to know them a little better and maybe get a glimpse behind the curtain of our operations.

Much of the work at our power plants is the routine, day-to-day business of generating electricity: providing fuel, monitoring equipment, and ensuring that the plant’s environmental controls are working as designed. But we also put a lot of work into planning for the future. Certainly, we examine what will be needed next week, next month, and for the upcoming winter, but we’re also looking years into the future to plan repairs, replacements, and upgrades of the many complex systems it takes to operate these large-scale electric generators and their necessary supporting equipment.

It takes a multitude of people with an incredibly diverse set of skills to supply the power your co-op delivers to you, reliably providing affordable electricity at the exact moment you need it — whenever that may be. Everyone plays an important role, so I’ll use this opportunity to honor the dedicated power plant employees at our Cardinal, Mone, and Greenville facilities. Thanks, team!

Pat O’Loughlin PRESIDENT & CEO OHIO’S ELECTRIC COOPERATIVES

Ohio Rural Electric Cooperatives

6677 Busch Blvd. Columbus, OH 43229 614-846-5757 www.ohiocoopliving.com

Patrick O’Loughlin President & CEO

Caryn Whitney Director of Communications

Jeff McCallister Managing Editor

Amy Howat Associate Editor

Crystal Pomeroy Graphic Designer

Contributors: Colleen Romick Clark, Randy Edwards, Michael A. Foley, Victoria Ellwood, Getty Images, W.H. “Chip” Gross, Catherine Murray, Damaine

Vonada, Kevin Williams, and Margie Wuebker.

OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING (USPS 134-760; ISSN 2572-049X) is published monthly by Ohio Rural Electric Cooperatives, Inc. It is the official communication link between the electric cooperatives in Ohio and West Virginia and their members. Subscription cost for members ranges from $5.52 to $6.96 per year, paid from equity accruing to the member.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to editorial and advertising offices at: 6677 Busch Boulevard, Columbus, OH 43229-1101. Periodicals postage paid at Pontiac, IL 61764, and at additional mailing offices. Nothing in this publication may be reproduced in any manner without written permission from Ohio Rural Electric Cooperatives, Inc. All rights reserved.

The fact that a product is advertised in Ohio Cooperative Living should not be taken as an endorsement. If you find an advertisement misleading or a product unsatisfactory, please notify us or the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, Consumer Protection Section, 30 E. Broad St., Columbus, OH 43215. Periodicals postage paid at Columbus, OH, and at additional mailing offices.

Departments

4 POWER LINES

Power brokers: The managers who oversee the generation of Ohio’s co-op electricity take their responsibility to heart.

8 WOODS, WATERS, AND WILDLIFE

Tastes like robin: The ubiquitous red-breasted songbirds, once considered a delicacy, were hunted nearly to the brink.

10 CO-OP PEOPLE

Past perfect: Slate Run Living Historical Farm perpetuates simpler life from a bygone era.

13 GOOD EATS

Pits top: Stone fruit might take a little extra work to prepare, but the reward is oh-so-sweet.

17 LOCAL PAGES

News and other important information from your electric cooperative.

33 CALENDAR

National/regional advertising inquiries, contact Cheryl Solomon

American MainStreet Publications

847-749-4875 | cheryl@amp.coop

Cooperative members: Please report changes of address to your electric cooperative. Ohio Cooperative Living staff cannot process address changes.

Alliance for Audited Media Member

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What’s happening: August/ September events and other things to do around Ohio.

36 MEMBER INTERACTIVE

Vintage school days: Members take a look back at some happy childhood memories.

13 find content submitted by other co-op members across the state.

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