Electric cooperative members visit coal plant
One time a year, Cardinal Operating Plant invites its electric cooperative member owners to tour the mile-long coal-fired generation facility along the Ohio River. The walking tour, open to any electric cooperative member, is guided by a Buckeye Power engineer who provides co-op members PPE gear and insight as they get up close to a working coal-fired generating unit.
On Sept. 13-14, a total of 305 tour guests from 13 cooperatives, OEC’s corporate office and Tunnel Ridge Coal Mine attended the plant tour. Firelands Electric Cooperative welcomed three government representatives on the tour: State Rep. Marilyn John, State Rep. Melanie Miller and Ashland Mayor Matt Miller. A Mid-Ohio Energy trustee flew his private airplane from Marion to Jefferson County Airport to attend the tour.
Several cooperatives brought groups of high school and electrical trade students on the tour. Six coal miners from Tunnel Ridge Coal Mine wanted to see where their work goes next in the process of producing electricity. Cardinal Plant purchases coal from nearby Tunnel Ridge mine in West Virginia.
The tour begins with a video of Cardinal Plant’s history and how Ohio’s cooperatives came together to ensure their members would have a reliable source for generating electricity for generations to come. It goes on to explain how electricity is made in one of the plant’s three units and how Cardinal Plant has invested over $1 billion through the decades to make it one of the most innovative and environmentally responsible coal plants in the world.
Next, co-op members are off on their walking tour to see the 19-story boiler, the giant turbine and the cooling tower in action as they work together to produce electricity — 1,800 MW total for Cardinal Plant, enough to power more than 1 million homes and businesses across Ohio. Ohio electric cooperative members also get the opportunity to meet the team of men and women who keep the plant operating.
Cardinal Plant is one of only four coal plants still operating today in Ohio. There were 21 in 2009. Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives, Buckeye Power and Cardinal Plant are committed to generating reliable, environmentally responsible, affordable electricity for its cooperative members for decades to come.
