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Imagine not having electricity to stay warm during the coldest part of winter. Sometimes, Mother Nature is in control, and a tree topples onto a power line causing an outage. Members of Ohio’s electric cooperatives can count on crews working fast to safely restore power because reliable electricity is their top priority. 

But what if power demand exceeds available supply during extreme cold? 

Thankfully, Ohio co-ops own their power plants which meet member demand. But Ohio has come close to an imbalance in recent winters. 

All generated power goes on the shared electric grid, which is managed by PJM, a regional transmission organization responsible for balancing power supply and demand on the grid for Ohio and 12 other states.  

The job is challenging because many reliable coal-fired power plants have closed. Newer natural gas plants have opened, but gas lines can freeze in extreme cold. Solar and wind resources don’t always work in winter.

2025-2026 Winter Reliability Assessment 

The North American Electric Reliability Corporation, or NERC, puts out a nationwide Winter Reliability Assessment each year for the months of December through February.

Thankfully, the PJM region is in a strong reliability position heading into winter, according to the NERC. Ohio’s electric co-ops’ plant operators spent the fall preparing the plants for extreme winter conditions. Meteorologists are calling for a colder, higher precipitation winter.

Key Takeaways for Ohio (PJM) in NERC Winter Assessment

Healthy Reserves: PJM has double the reserve power it hoped to have to meet the industry reliability standard. This indicates minimal risk of capacity shortfalls this winter.

Lessons from Last Winter: PJM hit an all-time winter peak last season, but proactive generator preparations and transmission performance ensured sufficient reserves throughout the demand event.

Changing Dynamics: Reserves are slightly lower than last winter due to rising demand for power and less coal-fired generation without equal replacements. Non-solar, flexible resources remain critical.

Trends Driving Risk

Demand Surge: Winter electricity demand is climbing at its fastest pace in years, fueled by data center growth and electrification. Average growth nationwide is 2.5% to 10% since last winter.  

Resource Shift: Resources have grown by 9.4 GW, the mix is shifting toward batteries and away from thermal generation. This transition underscores the importance of reliable fuel supplies for thermal generation. 

Natural Gas Challenges: Past winter storms reveal how gas supply disruptions can impact multiple regions. Operators are reinforcing winter planning to lower risk.

Bottom Line: For Ohio and PJM region, the outlook is reassuring—ample reserves and strong planning should keep the power on. As demand accelerates and power resources evolve, vigilance remains essential to reliability for future winters.

Ohio’s electric cooperatives are committed to keeping reliable electricity the top priority 24-7-365.

About Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives

OEC is the statewide association representing Ohio’s 24 not-for-profit electric cooperatives which are owned by the members they serve. Buckeye Power, Inc., is the co-op-owned power generation cooperative that produces power at three plants, also owned by Ohio co-op members.

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