Cardinal Operating Company, LLC (COC) is an Ohio-based energy company that operates the Cardinal Power Plant. Headquartered in Brilliant, Ohio, the company was established in the mid-1960s as a joint venture between Buckeye Power and American Electric Power (AEP) to build and operate the power plant. Buckeye Power, a not-for-profit generation and transmission cooperative owned by 25 Ohio electric distribution cooperatives, became the sole operator of the entire plant on March 1, 2018, and acquired Unit 1 from AEP in 2022. Cardinal Operating Company employs over 300 individuals and has an estimated annual revenue between $50 million and $200 million.
COC primarily focuses on the generation of electricity through its 1.8-gigawatt coal-fired Cardinal Power Plant, which provides reliable, affordable, and environmentally responsible power to Ohio cooperative members and consumers. The company manages the operation of three generating units and is involved in handling coal combustion residuals, such as bottom ash and fly ash.
In terms of patent litigation, Cardinal Operating Company, LLC has a posture typical of an operating company defending against patent infringement claims. The company has been named as a defendant in one tracked case and has no recorded plaintiff cases.
The notable case involving Cardinal Operating Company, LLC is Midwest Energy Emissions Corp. et al. v. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. et al., filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware in 2019. This patent infringement action concerns technology used to capture mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants. In March 2024, a jury in the District of Delaware assessed liability against a group of coal industry companies for infringing Midwest Energy's patents, resulting in a $57 million verdict.