Cold-Snap Operating Checklist for Ohio Facilities

Ohio market insight · Weather & resilience

Updated September 27, 2026Ohio Commercial Energy editorial teamHow we review content Book a free 15-min bill review

The short answer

A cold-snap plan is a short, rehearsed checklist that runs from about 72 hours before the cold arrives until the building is back to normal. It should name who watches forecasts and PJM alerts, which loads get staggered or shed to avoid setting a new monthly demand peak, how heating fuel and backup power are secured, and how staff, customers and contractors are told what is happening. Most of the value comes from decisions made in advance, because during an event the grid, gas system and contractors are all stretched at once.

Why cold snaps need their own plan

Severe cold stresses the grid and the gas system at the same time. During Winter Storm Elliott (December 23–25, 2022), about 47,000 MW of PJM generation, nearly a quarter of capacity, was on forced outage while load reached about 136,000 MW. In the January 2026 cold and Winter Storm Fern, PJM carried loads of 130 GW or more for eight consecutive days, and the U.S. Department of Energy issued emergency orders, one of which authorized PJM to call on customer-owned backup generation if needed. For a facility, that combination means higher heating load, possible gas interruptions and more expensive power for anyone exposed to market prices. For the contract side of winter risk, see winter price spikes: fixed vs. index power.

72 hours out: triggers, roles and contacts

Assign an event lead with authority to change schedules, shed load and close areas.
Set triggers in writing: a National Weather Service wind chill or extreme cold warning for your county, a PJM Cold Weather Alert or Load Management alert, or a supplier or curtailment-provider notice.
Refresh the contact sheet: electric utility outage line and account rep, gas utility, electricity supplier or broker, demand response provider, HVAC and plumbing contractors, fuel vendor, fire-protection contractor, insurer's claim line.
Check the building: heating plant, boilers, heat trace circuits, low-temperature alarms, freeze-prone zones near loading docks and exterior walls, and dry sprinkler system drains. For pipe protection detail, see freeze protection and heat trace.
Confirm staffing for overnight checks if the building will be unoccupied.

Demand management during the event

Cold mornings are when many facilities set their highest demand of the month: electric heat, process equipment, lighting and snow-melt loads all start together. Your monthly demand charge is set by that single interval, and some tariffs carry demand ratchets into later months.

Stagger start-ups. Bring heating, air handlers, compressors and process lines online in sequence, 15 to 30 minutes apart, rather than all at once.
Pre-heat moderately and early. Start warm-up earlier at a gentler rate instead of a hard morning recovery.
Watch auxiliary heat. Heat pumps lose capacity as outdoor temperatures fall, and electric backup strips can add large, sudden kW. Stage them and set lockouts where practical.
Defer discretionary electric loads during the morning ramp: EV charging, battery chargers for forklifts, non-urgent batch processes and electric water heating that can wait.
Honor demand response commitments. If you are enrolled, know your committed reduction and the load you will drop to deliver it. See how demand response works and tactics for peak demand charges.

A cold snap generally does not raise next year's capacity tag, because Ohio tags are set from load during PJM's summer peak hours; the risk is to that month's billing demand.

Gas and electric heat: know your fuel exposure

Firm vs. interruptible gas. Interruptible gas service can be curtailed when the local distribution system is stressed. Know your curtailment notice terms and what runs if gas is interrupted.
Dual-fuel equipment. If boilers or process heaters can switch to propane or fuel oil, confirm on-site fuel, test the switchover before winter and know your air permit limits on backup fuel hours.
Make-up air and exhaust. Kitchen and process exhaust pull in large volumes of cold air. Interlock make-up air properly and avoid running exhaust longer than needed.
Vacant or low-use areas. Keep them above freezing (a common guideline is at least 55°F) rather than shutting heat off.

Generator and backup readiness

Fuel: top off tanks before the event, use winter-blend diesel or anti-gel additives, and confirm your fuel vendor's emergency delivery terms.
Cold-start aids: verify block heaters, battery heaters and battery chargers are working.
Load test: run the generator under real load, not just at idle, and confirm the automatic transfer switch operates. Emergency systems covered by NFPA 110 must follow its testing schedule.
Know what it carries: list the circuits on backup power and confirm heating controls, sump pumps, freezers, IT and fire-alarm panels are among them.
Permits and grid calls: backup generators operate under air permits that limit non-emergency hours. If a utility or PJM program asks customers to run backup generation, check your permit and any emergency orders before starting.

For common generator failures and how to avoid them, see backup power mistakes.

Communication plan

Staff: who reports, who works remotely, shelter-in-place rules, and the indoor temperature at which areas close.
Customers and tenants: reduced hours, service changes and how you will notify them (website, email, text).
Remote monitoring: building temperature and low-temperature alarms visible on phones so managers do not need to drive in dangerous conditions.
Escalation: the event lead has a named backup and a written list of shutdown steps if heat is lost, including draining vulnerable lines.
Multi-site operators: one dashboard for site temperatures and alarms, local contractor lists for each region, and a standard shutdown procedure every manager has seen.

For the broader business-continuity plan this checklist plugs into, see energy resilience and contingency planning.

After the event

Check interval data for the demand peak you set and why.
Audit the next invoices for pass-through line items such as ancillary services or uplift, and compare them with your contract.
Inspect for damage before restarting equipment: frozen or cracked lines, blocked intakes, ice on rooftop units.
Document for insurance with photos, times, temperatures and interval data.
Update the plan with what went wrong and what took longer than expected.

Before next winter, the envelope and HVAC upgrades in winterizing an Ohio business reduce how hard the building has to work in the first place.

FAQ

How can a business avoid a demand-charge spike during a cold snap?

Stagger equipment start-ups, pre-heat gradually, limit electric backup heat and defer discretionary loads like EV and forklift charging during the morning ramp, since one high interval sets the month's demand charge.

What should a generator check include before extreme cold?

Fresh winter-grade fuel, working block and battery heaters, a test under real load with the transfer switch, and a list of the circuits the generator actually serves.

Should we turn the heat off in unused areas to save energy during a cold snap?

No. Keep unoccupied areas above freezing, commonly at least 55°F, because frozen and burst pipes cost far more than the heating energy saved.

Who should be on a cold-snap contact list?

Your electric and gas utilities, electricity supplier or broker, demand response provider, HVAC, plumbing and fire-protection contractors, fuel vendor and insurer.