Lee R. Schroeder is an Ohio licensed attorney at Schroeder Law LLC in Putnam County. He limits his practice to business, real estate, estate planning and agriculture issues in northwest Ohio. He can be reached at Lee@LeeSchroeder.com or at 419-659-2058. This article is not intended to serve as legal advice, and specific advice should be sought from the licensed attorney of your choice based upon the specific facts and circumstances that you face.
During the hot summer months, electric companies request that we cut down on the usage of electricity in our homes and businesses. This request may seem odd, but utility companies such as electric, water and sewage companies are heavily regulated. The laws and regulations on utility companies help ensure that electric service and other utility service is always available without the concern for rolling blackouts and brownouts.
Due to these regulations, utility providers are required to have access to enough capacity to guarantee that the electricity won’t run out. Usually this means that the utility provider must have access to somewhere around 25 to 50 percent more electricity than the provider has ever needed at any particular time. Limiting electricity consumption at the busiest times is a win-win for both the customers and the electric companies.
Our region’s hottest summer days introduce requests from our electric companies to decrease our use. Growing up, I could not understand why such requests would be made. Car dealers never ask us to buy fewer cars. Restaurants never ask us to eat in moderation. Why would electric companies want us to decrease energy use?
Simply put, electric companies as well as water and sewer service providers are heavily regulated by a myriad of laws and regulations. The laws and regulations in this context are designed to ensure that electric service (and other utility service) is always available without rolling blackouts or brownouts, both of which are conditions experienced in the past in places such as California.
Read more about utility companies and how they operate throughout the hot summer months in Lee’s article in the Lima News here: Legal-Ease: Hot weather and electricity
Source: LimaOhio.com, “Legal-Ease: Hot weather and electricity,” by Lee R. Schroeder, July 21, 2017