With three months until they flip the switch, Athens city and county officials met Thursday evening at the Athens Community Center to propose forming a council that would incorporate the electric aggregation program approved in November’s general election, telling attendees that they could see the plan come to reality by early August.
The committee would be called the Southeast Ohio Public Energy Council, and would be in charge of incorporating surrounding cities and counties into the new electric aggregation plan. The plan aims to provide reasonably priced energy supply and energy efficiency programs while keeping energy dollars local, instead of paying into national companies, according to the meeting’s agenda. The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio must approve the council before local officials can get to work.
The electricity used will still be sourced from American Electric Power, aggregation administrator Roger Wilkens reminded, but will be handled through a separate energy supplier that hasn’t yet been chosen.
“We can reduce your cost for electricity, but if we can reduce your need for electricity, that’s a lot more powerful,” Athens County Commissioner Chris Chmiel, said, adding that he’d like to see Athens move toward more sustainable energy sources.
Athens Mayor Paul Wiehl told attendees that aggregation will be voluntary, and residents will have the opportunity to opt out 21 days after receiving notification before the start of the program.
If residents buy into the new plan, they will still be able to opt out for a “small fee,” Wilkens said, or for free every three years according to the Ohio Revised Code.
The council would be modeled off of the Northeast Ohio Public Energy Council, Wilkens said, which has been operating for 15 years. Officials in Amesville, Jacksonville, Trimble and Buchtel have also expressed interest in joining the aggregation council, he said.
But initially the council will consist of a representative from Athens city and a representative from the county, but will expand as more communities are incorporated into the plan.
Currently, the city representative will be Mayor Paul Wiehl, while the county representative will be Chmiel.
Marty Zinn, an attendee at the meeting, said she hopes to see lower electricity prices and a gradual implementation of more energy efficient power sources. She recently chose not to purchase her electricity from AEP, and said she didn’t renew her contract with her former energy supplier after the aggregation plan was voted into place.
“I hope a lot of other people will not renew their contracts,” Zinn said. “I’m really excited and appreciative of what you’re putting together for the economic development of the city. I’d sacrifice the cheapest energy in order for this to come through.”
