Heat brings shine on state electricity issues

Heat across our region likely has many households cranking up the air conditioning and using plenty of electricity. Combine household need with that of Ohio's industrial energy consumers and PJM Interconnection is advising the strain on our electrical grid may be too great. "At the current pace, we are projecting a shortfall of energy," said David Souder, executive director of PJM operations, according to a report by WBNS. In fact, Souder said another heat wave could lead the system to experience reserve shortfalls. That means PJM has had to come up with a plan. "That's when we look at potentially becoming short our reserves and the need to load what we call demand response," Souder told WBNS. "Demand response is a product where we will pay in-use customers, whether they be residential or commercial customers, to actually reduce their load and demand to maintain reliable systems." At the same time, PJM is advising plans to retire some aging power plants must be put on hold. Ohio needs all the electricity it can get. It stands to reason, then, that officials should also be looking at an immediate all-of-the-above approach when it comes to electricity. Renewable options that have run into politically fueled resistance must be given another chance to prove their worth. If Ohio genuinely hopes to be the home of large employers such as Intel or other electricity-hungry companies without sacrificing the wellbeing of its residents, we are going to have to plan for electricity usage that is simply not possible now. "We continue to monitor the increasing demand," Souder told WBNS. As they do, everyone else must be looking for ways to expand and diversify the Buckeye State's energy portfolio so we can stay cool while the economy heats up.