NILES, Ohio – With Ohio’s energy demand projected to climb sharply in the coming decade, business and community leaders will hear from one of the industry’s top decision-makers at the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber’s 2025 Salute to Business Breakfast. 

Michele Harradence, executive vice president at Enbridge Inc. and president of Enbridge Gas, will outline how reliable, affordable natural gas can fuel economic growth when she delivers the keynote address Aug. 28 at the Eastwood Event Centre.

Harradence, who will also present the Valley Champion Award to Kip Botirius, executive vice president of Mod Op, said her remarks will emphasize Enbridge’s commitment to Ohio and the Mahoning Valley.

“We believe reliable, affordable natural gas can be the spark for that economic growth, and I’m looking forward to talking about that as well,” she said.

While Enbridge Gas Ohio joined the company’s portfolio only last year through the acquisition of East Ohio Gas, Harradence said Enbridge has provided energy to Ohio for more than 70 years and is a strategic hub for future investment. She said Ohio is now home to all four of the company’s core businesses: gas distribution and storage, gas transmission, renewables and liquids pipelines.

That investment, she said, ranges from large-scale infrastructure projects to targeted community redevelopment. 

Enbridge’s $2.6 billion Nexus pipeline, in service since 2018, originates in eastern Ohio and connects to 14 strategically located market interconnects designed to meet both present and future industrial and utility demand. The company is also supporting redevelopment efforts such as the Kimberly-Clark site in Warren and brownfield revitalization in the city of Campbell.

During the address, Harradence said she will highlight Ohio’s growing energy needs, citing projections from PJM Interconnection of a 50% increase in peak electricity demand by 2034, driven largely by data centers, manufacturing and building and vehicle electrification. 

She said a capacity shortage could come as early as 2026. “You can’t run a full-time economy on part-time power,” she said, emphasizing the need for an “all of the above” energy strategy.

Natural gas, Harradence will argue, is central to that strategy. The Trumbull Energy Center, expected to be operational by January 2026, will generate nearly 1 gigawatt of power for the PJM grid, helping meet demand across Ohio and neighboring states. Enbridge Gas Ohio will supply that facility, as well as the Lordstown Energy Center and other major industrial users, she said.

The company is also diversifying into renewables. In November 2024, Enbridge partnered with EDF Renewables to launch Fox Squirrel Solar in Madison County, the largest solar farm in Ohio and one of the largest east of the Mississippi, she said.

The 577-megawatt facility is fully contracted to Amazon.

Safety will be another central theme in Harradence’s address. “Delivering natural gas safely, affordably and reliably isn’t just a responsibility – it’s a promise we make every single day to the millions of people who count on us,” she said. 

Enbridge Gas Ohio has earned the American Gas Association’s Safety Achievement Award for six consecutive years, an honor given to utilities with the lowest incident rate among very large gas distribution companies, she added.

Harradence said Ohio’s favorable regulatory climate is making the state one of the top five for business, according to CNBC’s latest rankings. The company plans to continue investing in infrastructure, employee development and community partnerships, with charitable contributions expected to top $1.4 million across its service area this year, she said.

The Salute to Business Breakfast will also recognize six area leaders for their professional accomplishments. 

Honorees include John Miles, president and CEO of Steelite International, Business Professional of the Year; Tim Petrey, CEO of HD Growth Partners, Business Advocate of the Year; Andrea Mahone Blackmon, CEO of the Andrea Mahone Foundation, Nonprofit Professional of the Year; Justin White, co-owner and CEO of Advanced Technology Partners, Entrepreneur of the Year; Leigh Jaffer, multiunit owner/operator of Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream, Small Business Professional of the Year; and Tony Deley, business manager/financial secretary/treasurer for Ironworkers Local 207, recipient of the Salute to Labor Achievement Award.

Also on the program, Youngstown State University football coach Doug Phillips will preview the Penguins’ upcoming season, and a representative will provide an update on the 179th Canfield Fair.

The event runs from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. Tickets are $50 and can be purchased through the chamber’s website.

Pictured at top: Michele Harradence. (Instagram | Enbridge Gas Ohio)