Elected officials converge in Convoy

VW independent staff/submitted information

CONVOY — Elected officials learned about power reliability concerns and saw the Robert P. Mone Generating Station in Convoy on a recent tour with Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives and Buckeye Power. Buckeye Power is Ohio’s generation and transmission cooperative, providing power to 400,000 homes and businesses served by 24 Ohio-based electric cooperatives.

Legislators present on the tour included Rep. Roy Klopfenstein (R-Haviland), Rep. Angela King (R-Celina), Rep. Tim Barhorst (R-Fort Loramie), Senator Rob McColley (R-Napoleon), and Nicole Giesige, District Representative for Congressman Latta. CEOs, board members, and other guests from area electric cooperatives – Paulding-Putnam, Midwest Electric, Tri-County REC, Logan County Electric, and Hancock-Wood Electric – also joined the tour, as each receives electricity from the plant.

The Van Wert County Mone facility is a 510-megawatt natural gas peaking plant operated by Buckeye Power, serving as a vital electricity generation asset in maintaining reliable electric service to Ohio’s electric cooperatives during the highest periods of demand.

The plant is considered a “peaking” facility because it is utilized during peak times of demand – like on extremely hot summer or extremely cold winter days – to keep up with power needs. The plant’s three gas-fired General Electric turbine engines can be up and running in less than 30 minutes, powering up more than 400,000 homes.

Tour groups were able to step inside the generation houses and see up close the technology that is used to stabilize the local grid during times of high energy usage. Attendees learned that the availability of consistent baseload power from fossil fuel power plants is crucial for maintaining a stable energy supply to the local communities co-ops serve. Renewable sources like wind and solar are intermittent and weather-dependent, though still utilized by Buckeye Power as part of their “all of the above” energy approach.

Plant members shared research on energy storage solutions but cited many limitations and cost prohibitions.

This plant is just one generation resource in Buckeye Power’s portfolio, outfitted with best-in-class environmental controls. Included in the portfolio are also coal, solar, hydropower, biomass, and other renewable energy generation.

Members of electric cooperatives with questions about where their power comes from can contact their local co-op office for details.