| Before more than 200 business and community leaders at the Licking County Chamber of Commerce Manufacturing Day Celebration, Lindsey Short, managing director of advocacy and energy services for the Ohio Manufacturers’ Association (OMA), put electricity forecasting and cost accountability at the center of the conversation.
Short focused on what evidence supports projected new demand, when that demand is expected to come online and who pays when forecasts prove wrong. OMA has consistently argued that major infrastructure investments should be tied to credible, transparent forecasts rather than shifting the financial risk of speculative projects onto existing customers. “We have a forecasting problem before we have an energy problem,” Short said. “Before customers are asked to pay billions of dollars for new infrastructure, utilities should have to demonstrate that the demand is real, when it will actually come online and who is responsible if those forecasts are wrong. New demand should pay for new demand.” The issue is especially relevant in Licking County, where proposed large-load projects have brought greater scrutiny to electricity forecasting, infrastructure investment and cost allocation. OMA continues to press for greater forecast accountability and protections that keep existing customers from becoming the insurance policy for speculative demand. 10/7/2026 |
Short Brings Energy Cost Message to Licking County
10/15/2026
