When voters cast their ballots in November, they might be asked whether or not they would like to pool energy costs with other residents in the hope of saving money.
The Toledo-based Palmer Energy Company is seeking to help improve Athens County’s energy efficiency if voters approve the plan, said Bill Bradish, account manager for the Palmer Energy Company at Tuesday’s Athens County Commissioners meeting.
The process of “electric aggregation” would save those eligible for the program about 10 percent on their total energy bill, Bradish said.
“We do encourage smart technology for utilities,” said Geoffrey Hunter, president of Palmer Energy Company. “It’s a big part of your bill and it is changing daily.”
Individuals are also able to opt out of the program if they do not want to use it, Bradish said. The plan would include an evaluation of the efficiency of county buildings, Bradish said.
“I’m very interested because I’m working on energy stuff countywide,” said Athens County Commissioner Chris Chmiel.
If voters in the county permitted energy aggregation, it would apply only to unincorporated areas of the county. Cities such as Athens and Nelsonville would have to vote on aggregating their energy in a citywide ballot, Bradish said.
Some of those not eligible for the program would be someone on a Percentage of Income Plan (PIP), which prohibits utility companies from shutting off utilities to those under the poverty line if the resident is spending 10 percent of his or her income on utilities, said Jack Frech, director of Athens County Jobs and Family Services.
Even if the resident owes money to the utility companies, the company cannot shut off the resident’s utilities, Frech said.
Since not all residents are eligible for the program, there will likely be voters who show up to the polls to vote on something that does not concern them, Commissioner Lenny Eliason said.
“One third of people in the county are below the poverty line,” Frech said. “If you can reduce the electricity costs for everybody participating, there’s something to be said for that, too.”
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