Columbus, OH-Ohio's Electric Cooperatives and Buckeye Power President and CEO Patrick O'Loughlin was invited to take part in a roundtable discussion with members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee on Thursday, January 26, in Washington D.C.
The topic of discussion is U.S. energy security and the threats against the reliability of the nation's electrical grid due to increased demand for electricity and reduced supply of reliable power resources, such as coal and natural gas plants. In Ohio, the number of plants has gone from 21 to five in just 13 years, largely due to environmental regulations and the rapid pace to replace dependable power with renewable power sources, such as solar and wind.
O'Loughlin's concerns were echoed this past fall when NERC issued its winter assessment along with a warning about the availability of reliable power during extreme winter weather.
O'Loughlin is one of four energy expert panelists invited to speak before members of Congress.
Ohio's Electric Cooperatives will carry the committee's livestream of the discussion on its Facebook page Thursday.
