Community choice
- Chronology of northern Ohio utility campaigns
- Energy reports by Ohio Citizen Action's research and education affiliate, Citizens Policy Center
- Anatomy of a big victory: Making electric competition work for consumers, Shari Weir, Consumer Issues Director, Ohio Citizen Action, December 15, 2000
- Community buying power makes common sense, Matthew Patrick, Ohio Citizen Action newsletter, fall, 1998.
- Q&A: Electric competition in Ohio
- Electric utility restructuring resources, from Minnesotans for an Energy Efficient Economy, St. Paul, Minnesota
- American Public Power Association, Washington, D.C.
- Northeast Ohio Public Energy Council
May 8, 2002: Energy issues get resounding OK
CLEVELAND -- "Maybe fire didn't light up the sky, but there was a virtual natural gas election explosion across Northeast Ohio last night. Voters in every one of nearly 90 communities in seven counties approved gas aggregation issues last night, according to unofficial results from their respective boards of elections. Individual community results can be found in today's Plain Dealer election results lists. Voters in an additional 14 communities approved electric aggregation issues last night, 10 in Summit County, three in Geauga County and one in Portage County,'" Michael Scott, Cleveland Plain Dealer.May 5, 2002: Area voters to decide aggregation issues
Residents can pool together to buy gas, electricity
AKRON -- "Here's a roundup of the communities that are considering aggregation on the ballot:Natural gas -- (Summit County) Green, Macedonia, Twinsburg, Clinton, Northfield, Reminderville, Boston Township, Copley Township, Coventry Township, Franklin Township, Northfield Center, Richfield, Sagamore Hills, Springfield Township, Twinsburg Township; (Stark County) Brewster; (Portage County) countywide ballot issue, Brady Lake, Garrettsville, Hiram, Kent, Sugar Bush Knolls; (Medina County) Brunswick.
Electricity -- (Summit County) Bath Township, Boston Township, Copley Township, Coventry Township, Franklin Township, Northfield Center, Richfield, Sagamore Hills, Springfield Township, Twinsburg Township," Betty Lin-Fisher, Akron Beacon Journal.
Apr 15, 2002: Ballots to include more gas choices
CLEVELAND -- "But on May 7, voters will cast ballots in more than 70 communities to determine whether they want those local governments to pick their natural gas supplier as well - either as a member of the Northeast Ohio Public Energy Council (NOPEC) or on their own. . . . NOPEC officials have promoted deregulation and aggregation but have said they are not campaigning to promote any of the individual gas issues. Seven non-NOPEC communities already have the natural gas opt-in program in place after voters said OK last November: Cleveland, Cleveland Heights, Parma and Seven Hills in Cuyahoga County and Munroe Falls, Stow and Silver Lake in Summit County," Michael Scott, Cleveland Plain Dealer.Dec 26, 2001: State's residents get no jolt from electric competition
Providers not fighting for customers
COLUMBUS -- "The best way to save now is to buy power in bulk. Voters in 154 Ohio communities have approved plans to buy power for their residents, except those who choose to stay with their utility company or shop around on their own. In overall sales, most customers switching in FirstEnergy Corp.’s coverage area, which stretches from Toledo to Akron, are industrial and commercial users that burn enough electricity to get lower prices than residential customers. The Northeast Ohio Public Energy Council, a group of nearly 100 communities with 600,000 customers, is getting power from Austin, Texas-based Green Mountain Energy Corp. NOPEC says residential customers will see their bills go down by as much as 3 percent, compared with what they paid for service from FirstEnergy," John McCarthy, Associated Press.
Nov 7, 2001: Akron voters pass community choice ballot measure for electricity
| General Election: Summit County, Ohio, November 6, 2001 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Issue 5 - City of Akron Proposed Electric Aggregation | ||
| Aggregate Retail Electric Loads | ||
| Precincts counted/total | 174 / 174 | 100.00% |
| Yes | 21,370 | 58.87% |
| No | 14,930 | 41.13% |
| Total | 36,300 | 100.00% |
Background on the Akron ballot issue
CLEVELAND -- "Utility aggregation measures approved in most communities," Michael Scott, Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Nov 7, 2001: Voters buy into multicommunity natural gas plan
TOLEDO -- "Voters in Toledo and nearby communities yesterday authorized their local governments to shop around on their behalf for natural gas deals, something that could reduce heating bills this winter for many residential and business customers. Toledo, Northwood, Oregon, and Lucas County’s unincorporated areas gained authorization from voters by 2-1 ratios. Support was even stronger in Maumee, Perrysburg, Rossford, Sylvania, and Ottawa Hills. Called aggregation, the program allows local governments to automatically switch residents to the gas company in which officials have negotiated the best bulk deal for their community - but only if municipalities first get authorization from voters," Toledo Blade.Oct 31, 2001: Power to negotiate
CLEVELAND -- "Voters in five Northeast Ohio counties will cast ballots Tuesday on natural gas and electricity aggregation issues. A "yes" vote would give local government the authority to negotiate a utility contract on behalf of its citizens," Cleveland Plain Dealer.Eco-friendly energy may be getting green light in NE Ohio
GARRETT, PA -- "The $10 million Green Mountain Wind Farm, with its eight 30-story windmills, is the largest facility of its kind in the eastern United States. It's the type of ``green energy'' plant that may soon be built in Northeast Ohio. Each tubular steel tower rises 200 feet. Each has three 5-ton blades, which are 95 feet long. . . [Green Mountain Energy] serves about 500,000 customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, California, Connecticut, New Jersey and Texas. Ohio is its biggest state, with 450,000 customers in communities affiliated with the Northeast Ohio Public Energy Council in Summit, Portage, Medina, Cuyahoga, Lake, Lorain, Geauga and Ashtabula counties," Bob Downing, Akron Beacon Journal.
AKRON -- "If you're going to Green Mountain," Bob Downing, Akron Beacon Journal.
TOLEDO -- "Commissioners said a meeting of coalition members will be arranged after FirstEnergy has submitted its proposal in writing," Toledo Blade.
TOLEDO -- "Toledo city council yesterday deferred action on accepting an electric-rate package from a Wisconsin supplier after FirstEnergy Services made an offer council members said appeared better for consumers. FirstEnergy matched the 4.35 cents per kilowatt hour first made by WPS Energy Services, Inc., of Green Bay, Wis., and agreed to not impose a $5 switching fee on customers. Doug Elliot, vice president of sales and marketing for FirstEnergy Services, said the rate would remain in effect two years, with the option of reopening the agreement," Toledo Blade.
TOLEDO -- "The Maumee, Sylvania, and Oregon city councils voted last night to participate with a proposed coalition of Toledo-area communities in purchasing electricity at bulk rates from a Wisconsin supplier. But the deal hinges on whether Toledo, which makes up two-thirds of the coalition’s population base, gets on board -- a decision Toledo’s city council may make today," Toledo Blade.
Residents may save $20 on bills in 1st year
TOLEDO -- "[Leslie Kovacik, utilities attorney for the city law department] said if WPS [Energy Services, Inc.] can obtain power at rates that are cheap enough, the firm will offer a program to residents that would save residential customers an estimated $20.65 a year for 2002, the first year of the proposed contract. 'I suppose that doesn’t sound very exciting, but their savings go up in the years that follow,' she said. Proposed annual savings are to increase to $22.82 in 2003, $45.28 in 2004, and $63.95 in 2005, she said," Toledo Blade.
AKRON -- "Akron voters will see an issue on the November ballot that, if approved, would allow the city to form an aggregate -- or large block -- of electricity customers. These large groups can then theoretically negotiate lower electricity rates. The aggregate would be composed of residential and small-business customers," Akron Beacon Journal.
TOLEDO -- "Lucas County commissioners yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding with a Wisconsin-based electric company to continue negotiations on a deal projected to save households almost $64 annually on their utility bill in the fourth year of the potential agreement. Toledo city council debated a similar measure at length yesterday but put off a vote for two weeks to allow members more time to study the proposal," Toledo Blade.
TOLEDO -- "Local officials want to take advantage of a new state law that allows communities to buy natural gas as a group. Toledo city council is to vote on Tuesday to put the measure on the November ballot. Eight other communities have been asked to consider a vote. All are part of the Northwest Ohio Aggregation Coalition that was formed last year after voters approved a similar measure to buy electricity," Lisa Abraham, Toledo Blade.
Betty Lin Fisher, Akron Beacon Journal. "Some consumers are missing savings as high as $9.75 a month off their current electric bill. ... Said Ohio Consumers' Counsel Rob Tongren: 'Hang on. Remember, your air-conditioning bill is what drives your electric bill.' But Tongren said he hopes the commission acts on the matter soon. 'The travesty would be if the commission lets this drag into the summer,' he said."
Michael Scott, Cleveland Plain Dealer. "[The Northeast Ohio Public Energy Council (NOPEC)] is a public buying group that represents most communities in Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Medina, Portage and Summit counties. It formed last year when Ohio’s electric deregulation law kicked in, allowing aggregation pools to seek contracts for electricity. Brook Park Mayor Tom Coyne, a NOPEC director, said the group’s apparently successful lobbying to persuade an Ohio Senate committee to allow aggregate buying of natural gas shows NOPEC is gaining influence. 'We found out this last week the real importance of NOPEC.'"
Associated Press. "[Eastlake Mayor Dan] DiLiberto said customers will save 5 percent as required by law under deregulation rules plus an additional 1 percent to 3 percent with the contract. ... Green Mountain produces electricity through environmentally friendly ways, mostly through using natural gas as fuel. It is also involved in wind and solar power generation. The company plans to build a wind farm with 200-foot-tall wind mills within the next two years, said Dennis Kelly, Green Mountain's chief executive officer. Kelly said the company is looking for a 200-acre site in either northeast Ohio or an adjoining state."
"Green Mountain Energy Co.," "What it means to you," "What's next," (Michael Scott, Cleveland Plain Dealer).
CLEVELAND -- "`Green' power to be sold in Ohio," (Christina Hange Kukuk, Akron Beacon Journal).
release, PRNewswire. "'This is a truly historic occasion, a truly positive example of energy deregulation,' said Eastlake Mayor Dan DiLiberto, chairman of the [Northeast Ohio Public Energy Council] board of directors. 'We are excited to enter into this partnership with Green Mountain Energy Company -- enabling us to offer our customers a premium product, clean, renewable energy at discount prices.'"
CLEVELAND -- "Northeast Ohio group strikes a deal with Texas electricity producer," M.R. Kropko (Associated Press).
Michael Scott, Cleveland Plain Dealer. "... the effort to keep the Summit County city from defecting from the 94-member group is only part of a brewing conflict between the coalition communities - known as the Northeast Ohio Public Energy Council - and FirstEnergy Corp.’s new subsidiary, FirstEnergy Services Corp."
Joe Mahr, Toledo Blade. "As part of electric deregulation, voters in 12 Northwest Ohio locales, including Toledo and many suburban cities, allowed their governments to negotiate for cheap rates and automatically switch. The suburban Toledo locales formed the Northwest Ohio Aggregation Coalition, which includes Holland, Maumee, Northwood, Oregon, Perrysburg, Sylvania, Toledo, Waterville, and the unincorporated areas of Lucas County."
Betty Lin Fisher, Akron Beacon Journal. First Energy spokeswoman Ellen "Raines said though the ['market support generation' supply] may be virtually gone, 'that's not to say some of the suppliers won't negotiate for some other source other than [this supply of electricity] and come back. 'It's happened in many markets without [it],'' Raines said. The purpose ... 'was to get the ball rolling. I think it's certainly done that.'"
Joseph Wagner, Cleveland Plain Dealer. "At least one firm, Shell Energy Resources Inc., backed out of the bidding because the supply of discounted electricity from FirstEnergy Corp. was exhausted, said Joe Dirck, spokesman for the Northeast Ohio Public Energy Council, a consortium of communities seeking lower electric rates for residents."
Associated Press. "'This is great news,' said Law Director Tim Dobeck, who negotiated the deal. He said 33,070 households, or 93 percent of the city's residences, will begin saving $60 to $75 a year, starting in February."
John McCarthy, Associated Press. "Another option is available to customers who live in communities that voted to buy electricity under one contract, or 'aggregate.' Those 131 communities, most in FirstEnergy territory, hope to save money for individuals by pooling their buying power."
AKRON -- "Find out more."
