Electric Use Projected to Increase Nationwide
By Matthew Teffeau, Manager of Government Affairs
Electric Cooperatives are starting to see an increase in the amount of energy their members use. This current trend and recent “surge” projection of energy-use will conflict with current policies that affect the overall cost of energy. Choptank Electric Cooperative, along with the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, has continued to engage with policymakers at the federal and state levels about the need to keep power reliability and affordability at the forefront of policy decisions.
Cooperatives have taken a clear stance that policymakers must allow sufficient time for renewable-energy transitions and the conjunction of technology development to maintain reliability during this transition. This will take time and change the energy landscape, current supply-chain practices, and existing generation and distribution infrastructure.
According to a recent New York Times article titled “A New Surge in Power Use is Threating U.S. Climate Goals,” this surge of energy use is related to data centers, large manufacturing and electric-vehicle charging infrastructure. These types of investments are being seen in the PJM Interconnection, which oversees the nation’s largest regional grid, including the state of Maryland. PJM representatives fear the current grid will not keep up with this increase in demand and “finding enough power could be a challenge, since PJM’s process for new connections, including the renewable energy project, have been afflicted by delays.” This has led PJM to delay retiring older power plants because they still supply baseload generation. PJM is tasked with maintaining grid capacity and reliability.
Keeping in mind the Cooperative mission to provide reliable and cost-effective services that improve the quality of life for our communities, we must stay vigilant during this forecast of increased demand. Choptank Electric Cooperative is advocating for sound policies and promoting smart energy-use incentives when accessible.