Energy Policy Resources

Posted on: February 1, 2026 By: hcarter@consolidated.coop

Reliability and Affordability Concerns

For 90 years, our mission has been to deliver safe, reliable, and environmentally responsible electricity to our members at stable and affordable rates. Our members count on us to deliver their power 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year – our communities and livelihoods depend on it. But, for the first time in our history, that reliability is in jeopardy.

Buckeye Power, our generation and transmission provider, generates enough power for all 400,000 cooperative members in Ohio. However, we depend on the larger grid to get that power to our members, and the grid’s ability to balance supply and demand in our region and across the nation is increasingly at risk. Shortages in one area can cause shortages and blackouts at other places on the grid.

January, 2026 Reliability Assessment

The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) released a concerning Long-Term Reliability Assessment in January, 2026. Based on their research, many regions across the U.S. are at an elevated risk for energy shortfalls over the next five years.

For PJM, the grid operator for Ohio and 12 surrounding states, NERC reports that current projections for energy resource additions do not keep the pace with the forecasts for increasing demand and retired generation. Basically, they anticipate that unless things change, demand will begin to exceed supply across the grid – during extreme or even normal weather conditions.

Please read this article from America’s Electric Cooperatives to learn more about the causes behind these issues, and the steps that policymakers need to take to put our nation on a more stable path.

Here are a few of the reasons why the risks to reliable, affordable energy are growing:

  • Demand for electricity is higher than it has ever been, and it continues to rise, especially as more data centers are popping up.
  • The overall supply of reliable electricity is down because of the rapid retirement of coal and nuclear plants.
  • Intermittent sources of energy like wind and solar power have come online, but they have not filled the gap and they are not always available.
  • Unreasonable regulations are creating unnecessarily high costs while providing minimal environmental benefits, leading generation sources to shut down and preventing investment in new sources.

What can we do about it? 

Energy Conservation

During times of extreme demand (like during a cold snap), you may hear about “peak alerts” or “peak demand.” A “peak alert” occurs when a utility provider is close to demanding more electric power than they have ever used before. When demand reaches a new peak, it also sets a new, higher price that we have to pay for electricity.

Now more than ever, it is important for us all to try and safely conserve power during times when demand is high – not just to avoid rising costs, but also to help avoid the need for rolling blackouts. Conservation during peak times can be as simple as lowering your thermostat by a few degrees, or turning off unused appliances and electronics. Learn more about peak alerts here.

Political Action

Consolidated leaders attend events in Washington, D.C. and at our Ohio statehouse to meet with policy makers and speak up for the good of our members. You can join us in advocating for common-sense energy policy. Check out America’s Electric Cooperatives PAC and Voices for Cooperative Power to learn more about how you can get involved and speak up for cooperative members!

America’s Electric Cooperatives PAC

The National Rural Electric Cooperatives Association (NRECA) has renamed its political action committee: The program once known as “ACRE” is now America’s Electric Cooperatives PAC.  

This political action committee (PAC) was founded in 1966 to support political candidates who speak up for and protect the interests of electric co-ops and their member-owners. Thousands of co-op members, employees, and directors from across our nation contribute to the PAC.   

PAC accepts contributions on a monthly basis, and the average contributor gives about $65 per year. When everyone’s individual PAC contribution comes together, it builds our collective strength as cooperatives across the nation. This strength and recognition on the national level is key as decarbonization and electrification policies have threatened cooperatives’ ability to deliver power to their members.   

If you would like to be a part of this national movement, click here to make a donation, or give us a call at 800-421-5863 for help.   

Voices for Cooperative Power

Join us in speaking up for reliable, affordable electricity! Voices for Cooperative Power (VCP) is a network of rural electric cooperative members who work together to promote policies that help cooperatives thrive. VCP makes it easy to be an advocate by empowering you to share your story, connecting you with opportunities to use your voice, and keeping you informed about important issues and policies.   

You can choose your level of involvement – whether you use the information they provide to be an informed voter, or you take advantage of opportunities to contact legislators and speak up for cooperatives. Learn more about VCP at voicesforcooperativepower.com or get in touch with us at Consolidated for help.   

Resources

  • “Reliability and Affordability” – This webpage from America’s Electric Cooperatives (NRECA) will give you a background of the current energy landscape, the cooperative stance, and a timeline of the events that led up to this point.
  • “EPA Power Sector Rules” – This article from America’s Electric Cooperatives gives an overview of key regulations that threaten reliable, affordable power, and it provides updates as decisions progress.
  • “PJM Warns of Risks Expected Resource Retirements Pose to Grid Reliability” – This article from OEC discusses recent reports of increased reliability risks, and warnings about retiring reliable resources while demand for electricity is growing.

Key Terms and Organizations

Here is a short list of some of the key terms and organizations that you will read about while researching this topic. Click or tap the link in each point to learn more or visit the organization’s website.

The Electric Grid: The complex, interconnected system that transports electricity from power plants through substations, transformers, transmission lines, and the distribution lines that deliver energy to consumers. Learn more about the electric grid.

PJM: PJM Interconnection – a regional transmission organization that ensures reliability and coordinates the movement of electricity in Ohio and 12 surrounding states.

NERC: The North American Electric Reliability Corporation – a not-for-profit, international authority designed to protect the reliability and security of the electric grid.   

NRECA: America’s Electric Cooperatives – the national organization designed to promote, support, and protect the best interests of electric cooperatives and their members.   

OEC: Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives – the statewide organization designed to promote, support, and protect the best interests of electric cooperatives and their members in Ohio.

EPA: The United States Environmental Protection Agency – The EPA was founded to study environmental issues, provide information, and develop and enforce environmental standards and regulations in America.   

Outage Updates – Wind Damage

Posted on: March 14, 2026 By: hcarter@consolidated.coop

The extreme winds on Friday, March 13 did extensive damage to our system and knocked out transmission to three of our substations.

Our crews were out working all day Friday as the winds continued and outage numbers were on the rise. By the time conditions improved, we had over 10,000 members out of power.

Due to the severity and widespread nature of the damage, we anticipate a multi-day restoration effort, and we are working to secure additional crews to help us recover safely and efficiently.

Please follow us on Facebook for updates as our restoration efforts progress. We are also publishing the updates at the bottom of this page, but Facebook will be the most timely source.

Check out this article from Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives to see how the storm impacted co-ops across Ohio.

Important Safety Reminders:

These reminders are specific to common reports from this storm. Please view our Storm and Outage Safety Page for more safety information.

Generators: Backfeed and Lineworker Safety

Prevent Backfeed – keep our crews safe!

Improper generator setup can be fatal for utility workers and tree crews trying to restore your service.

Backfeed occurs when electricity flows from your home back onto utility lines. This can energize “dead” lines and put workers at risk of electrocution.

Never plug a portable generator directly into a wall outlet. Use a professionally installed transfer switch or plug appliances directly into the outlets on the generator itself.

Partial Power

What is “Partial Power”?
Most homes run on a 120/240-volt system delivered via two “hot” wires and one neutral wire.

  • If one “hot” wire is damaged (by a fallen limb or a tripped transformer fuse), you lose roughly half of your 120V circuits.
  • Large appliances (HVAC, water heaters, ovens) require both wires to provide 240V. If one is out, these appliances will fail to start or, worse, try to “backfeed” power through other circuits, which can cause damage.

Immediate Safety Steps

  • Report the Issue: Even if you have some power, it is important that you report the partial outage right away.
  • Turn off large 240V appliances: Switch off your HVAC system, electric water heater, and clothes dryer at the breaker box. Operating these with only partial power can burn out their motors or compressors.
  • Unplug sensitive electronics: Computers, TVs, and smart appliances can be damaged by the voltage fluctuations associated with a partial outage.
  • Check your main breaker: Flip your main house breaker all the way to “OFF” and then back to “ON” once. If the issue persists, the problem needs further investigation.

Downed Powerlines

Steer clear!
Always assume that any downed wire is energized and dangerous.

  • Stay at least 35 feet away (about the length of a school bus).
  • Never try to move a line or remove debris from a line yourself – it takes significant training and special equipment to do so safely.
  • If a wire falls on your vehicle while you are inside, stay put and call 911. If it is too dangerous to stay in the vehicle due to a fire or other hazard, secure any loose articles of clothing and jump clear, ensuring that you do not touch the car and the ground at the same time. Then, hop or shuffle away as far as you are able, making sure both feet are touching the ground at the same time.

Outage Tracking and Reporting

Outage Updates

Outage Update: 3/16 – 9:30 a.m.

The feeder outage impacting the Olive Green area has been restored. Our crews are continuing to repair damage from Friday to restore the remaining outages.

Outage Update: 3/16 – 6:45 a.m. – New Outages

This morning, we lost a feeder that serves in and around the Olive Green Area. We have a team member on their way to assess the situation, and we will update this post with more information when we have it.

Crews are ready for another day of hard work repairing damage and continuing to restore power for our members who have been out since Friday. We know this has been a long time without power for some of you, and extended outages cause a lot of stress.

Thank you for hanging in there with us as we do everything we can to restore your power safely and efficiently. We will provide more updates throughout the day.

Outage Update: 3/15 – 9:45 p.m. – Final Update of the Day

We are down to 268 members out of power with 88 unique outages. One of our mutual aid crews from Indiana had to head home today due to wind damage in their territory, but we are expecting a couple more to join us tomorrow.

There is still a lot of damage to repair, and we are hoping that tonight’s wind does not add damage to our system. We will continue updating you tomorrow as we progress, and as we have a firmer idea of when work will be complete.

Thank you for all of the kind words you have sent our way throughout these challenging circumstances – your support and understanding mean so much to our team. We understand that this is an incredibly difficult situation for our members who have been without power since Friday, and our teams have been doing everything we can to repair damage and restore power safely and efficiently.

Outage Update: 3/15 – 6:20 p.m.

We temporarily bumped back up to about 2,100 members out of power due to some voltage issues. We had to shut off three feeders to ensure the safe delivery of power, but we are in the process of getting things switched back and restored. Full restoration for these outages may take up to 1-2 hours.

UPDATE: All three feeders have been restored.

Our crews have not stopped working to repair damage causing the outages from Friday’s winds.

If you have damage to report, please do so using our 24/7 number – 800-421-5863, option 0. If you believe the damage is a danger yourself or others, please report it to 911 first. We cannot process damage reports or account information over Facebook; please use our approved outage and damage reporting methods to ensure that your report is properly registered in our system.

Outage Update: 3/15 – 3:30 p.m.

Our teams’ hard work has brought us down from about 2,500 members out this morning to about 595 members out now. We cannot provide estimates for individual areas at this time, but we can say that restoration will definitely continue through tomorrow.

Here are some of the factors currently impacting our restoration timeline:

– Though our total number of members out has decreased significantly, the number of unique outages is still quite high at 142 due to the widespread damage. This means that each outage we restore will bring power back for a small number members. You can see this demonstrated if you zoom in on our outage map: https://outagewatch.consolidated.coop/

– Though each outage impacts fewer members, many still involve severe damage that takes time to restore safely.

– Our area is under a wind advisory again through tomorrow morning, which could lead to more damage.

Thank you for staying with us, we know this is a very difficult, stressful situation and we are doing everything we can to restore power safely and efficiently. We will continue to update you here as we progress.

Outage Update: 3/15 – 7:30 a.m.

Our crews got back to work early this morning, and they are continuing to progress through repairs. We will update you here when we have more information to provide, but we do still anticipate that some restoration efforts will continue into Monday.

When we are recovering from extreme damage like this, progress can seem to slow down over time, but please rest assured that our crews are continuing to work just as hard as they have been. We typically start with outages that are impacting the most members, so power comes back on in larger sections. As we progress, though individual outages still have similar amounts of damage to repair, each one impacts fewer members.

If you have questions about your fiber service, please contact our support team at 800-421-5863 (option 4). They will be able to provide more information about restoration in your area.

Outage Update: 3/14, 10:00 p.m. – Final Update of the Day

We are down to about 2,500 members out, and some members will come back on yet this evening. Transmission has now been restored to all substations, but we still have a lot of repair and restoration work ahead of us.

Our crews have to head in for the night, but they will be back at it at 6 a.m. We do not have estimated restoration times for specific areas at this time, but we do anticipate that some restoration efforts will stretch into Monday, especially as weather reports are calling for more high winds tomorrow. We will provide more information as work continues tomorrow.

We understand that extended outages can cause significant stress, and we will continue doing everything we can to restore your power safely and efficiently. Thank you for your continued patience and understanding.

Outage Update: 3/14, 6:20 p.m.

We currently have about 153 outages and 3,000 members out.

We are still dealing with a transmission outage in Marengo, but we have crews working to restore a feeder in the area that will allow us to reroute power to more members.

Outages will continue into tomorrow, but we are working hard and hope to have a better idea of how long it will take to reach full restoration later tonight. We know that extended outages are very stressful, and we are doing everything we can to restore your power safely and efficiently.

For fiber service, some damage occured in the northern portion of our territory that cannot be repaired until electric is finished. If you have questions, please call 800-421-5863 and press option 4 to speak with our fiber support team.

We have heard from some members who are receiving notice that their power is restored when it is still out. If this happens to you, it typically means that we restored a larger outage in the area, but your home was impacted by a different, smaller outage. If you do not see your home reflected on our outage map, please report it again to ensure the outage is in our system.

Outage Update: 3/14, 3:15 p.m.

Our crews have been working tirelessly today, and electric outages are now down to about 3,300 members. We still have a lot of work to do, but we are making progress.

There is still so much damage to address that we are not able to offer accurate estimates for full restoration, but we will provide updates whenever we have information to share. We understand that this is a very difficult, stressful situation and we are doing everything we can to get your power back on safely and efficiently.

Outage Update: 3/14, 10 a.m.

Electric outages have gone down from over 8,800 members when crews set out this morning to about 6,300 members now. We still have transmission outages to two of our substations, and a lot more damage like what you see in the pictures below, but our crews are working hard to repair and restore power safely and efficiently.

We have received one assisting crew from Mid-Ohio Co-op already, and we have two more crews heading our way from Indiana. Due to the extent of the damage, we do not have restoration estimates at this time, but we will provide more information when we can.

Please remember to steer clear of downed power lines, and NEVER try to remove debris yourself.

Outage Update: 3/14, 6:50 a.m.

Crews loaded up and headed out around 6:30 this morning. We have two additional crews heading our way, and we are awaiting word on more to help us continue repairs and restoration. We will provide more updates as we progress today.

Important Reminder: If you see a downed powerline, stay away! Even if the line seems de-energized, they can become re-energized as we restore power. Never approach a downed powerline, and never try to clear debris from a line yourself.

Outage Update: 3/13, 10 p.m.

After a long day of challenging, hazardous work, our crews have to head in tonight for their safety. We will resume restoration work in the morning.

Thank you for your patience through this difficult situation. Please stay safe, look out for your neighbors, and keep our crews in your thoughts. We will update again when we have more information tomorrow morning.

Outage Update: 3/13, 8 p.m.

Electric and fiber crews are out working hard to assess damage, make repairs, and restore service.

The winds did extensive damage to our system today that will take time to fully repair and restore, and we currently have transmission outages at three of our substations.

We have requested assistance from additional crews, but outages will be extended for many of our members.

We do not have restoration estimates at this time, but we will update you here when we do.

Thank you for your patience and understanding. We are doing everything we can to get your service back on safely and efficiently.

Storm and Outage Safety

Posted on: March 10, 2026 By: hcarter@consolidated.coop

Our teams are prepared for spring storms – make sure you are too! Please read through the information below to help keep you and your family safe if outages occur.

Outage Reporting

Outage Tracking

  • Sign up for Outage Alerts to receive text message updates about outages in your area.
  • Use our Outage Map to see the impact of an outage across our territory and track our restoration progress.

Outage Preparation

  • Do you have any medical equipment or treatments that require electricity or refrigeration? Make a plan with your doctor or pharmacist to ensure that you know how to stay safe when a power outage occurs. 
  • Maintain an emergency kit with necessary items like non-perishable food, water, flashlights, batteries, a first-aid kit, etc. 
  • Make sure you have blankets and warm clothing easily accessible. 
  • Take time to charge important devices like phones, laptops, and portable batteries before the bad weather hits.
  • Ensure that all of your sensitive electronics are protected from power surges. Remember that newer appliances often include computer elements and will need surge protection. Read this article to learn more about the importance of surge protectors and how to pick the surge protectors that best suit your needs. 
  • Remember to include your pets in your preparations! 

Outage Safety

  • Never approach a downed powerline, even if it appears to be de-energized. Lines can become re-energized as restoration efforts progress. If you see a downed line, call us and 911 right away.
  • Do not try to remove any debris from a powerline, even if you think it may be impacting your service. Without the proper training, equipment, and safety gear, it is extremely dangerous to go near a powerline.
  • During the restoration process, sometimes power comes back on in spikes that can damage electronics. Unplug all electronics and heat-producing appliances when an outage occurs.

Generator Safety

  • Read your manual for important safety information that is unique to your generator.
  • Before starting your generator, make sure your home is equipped with battery-backup carbon monoxide detectors, and test them to ensure they are working properly.
  • Never operate your generator inside your home, garage, barn, porch, or any other enclosed or partially enclosed space. Keep it at least 25 feet away and make sure the exhaust is directed away from windows, doors, and vents.
    • Never plug your generator into a wall outlet to try and power your home – this can send electricity down de-energized lines, putting line workers in serious danger.

Follow this link for more outage safety and preparation tips.

Light up your life.