At the beginning of March 2017, after what had been, to that point, an unusually mild winter, a huge storm system came through southern Ohio and northern Kentucky, bringing with it winds that brought down trees and power lines and causing power outages in large swaths of the area.
Electric cooperatives do everything they can — regular maintenance, tree-trimming, etc. — to prevent such outages, but sometimes, Mother Nature has her own ideas. When outages do happen, the co-ops are ready.
There are lots of reasons that electric consumers may check into the possibility of generating some of their own power — after all, sunshine and wind are seemingly free, and modern technology has made it possible to use those resources at the household or building level in a way that’s never been possible.
But there’s much to consider before making that decision: economics — the real monetary potential of the system; safety — for both consumers and lineworkers trying to restore power during an outage; and reliability — ensuring a steady flow of electricity.
While many people endorse the benefits of solar power, the idea of their actually installing and maintaining a costly rooftop grid might never see the light of day.
Through a community solar program called OurSolar, members of Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives will soon be able to plug into the sun without the drawbacks of doing it themselves. As part of OurSolar, Buckeye Power is beginning to build new solar panel arrays at several locations around the state, bringing more emission-free energy to Ohio’s electric cooperatives.
Dear Pat: We have two kids, which means we do a lot of laundry — it never ends! What are some ways we can reduce our energy use in the laundry room? – Frank
Dear Frank: The average American family washes about 300 loads of laundry per year — all that laundry uses a lot of energy! However, there are some easy ways to reduce your energy use in the laundry room.
How’s this for a job description? A bit of Sherlock Holmes, plus number-cruncher, technology wizard, problem-solver, with a cheerful outlook and the ability to work well with others — that’s just a partial list of what it takes to become a co-op energy advisor.
All that expertise is just a phone call or mouse click away to get reliable, trustworthy answers to your energy questions.
