EATON — Palmer Energy’s Amy Hoffman, who has spoken at various municipalities across the area, provided electric and natural gas aggregation information for Eaton residents during a meeting on Monday evening, April 17.
City of Eaton voters will see two ballot issues on their Tuesday, May 2, election ballots — Issue 4 and Issue 6. Issue 4 seeks voter approval for the city to aggregate natural gas, and Issue 6 seeks voter approval for the city to aggregate electricity.
Hoffman answered several residents’ questions regarding the aggregation process during the meeting, and left them with a handout providing the following questions and answers.
Q. What is governmental aggregation?
A. Governmental aggregation is an easy and effective way for a large group of consumers to save money on their electrlc bills.
Ohio law allows for communities — such as townships, cities, villages and counties — to form aggregated buying groups to purchase electric generation on behalf of their citizens. By bringing citizens together, the aggregation gains group buying power and typically can negotiate a better price with the supplier than each aggregation group member could have negotiated individually. The governmental aggregator chooses the electric generation supplier for all of the customer-members in its group.
On Election Day, your community will have the issue of electric aggregation or the ballot. By voting for electric aggregation, you will allow your locally elected officials to purchase electric generation at a discounted rate for your community.
Q. How do residents join a governmental aggregation program?
A. First, the governmental aggregation issuC must be placed on the ballot and then passed by a majority of the voters. Once passed, all eligible residents and small businesses in the community will be enrolled and will begin receiving the discounted generation pricing under the program. Residents do not need to do anything to join the program. However, anyone who does not want to participate in the progrxn can easily opt out by returning a form, which will be mailed to all eligible members.
Q. What does “opt-out” mean?
A. Since all eligible residents are automatically enrolled in the governmental aggregation program, those residents who do not want to participate are given the opportunity to opt out. By returning the opt-out form by the due date, which is included in a letter that is mailed to all eligible residents, residents can choose not to be enrolled as an electric generation customer with the community’s competitive electric generation suppliei.
Q. What happens if I do not send in the opt-out form?
A. Governmental aggregation is designed so it is easy for residents to save money on their electlic bills. So, if you do not return the opt-out form postmarlced by the due date, you will be included in the community’s governmental aggregation program and will begin receiving competitively priced electricity from the community’s competitive electric genCration supplier.
Q. Can I opt out of the program at a later date?
A. Yes, you may opt out of the program at any time.
Q. What are my energy supply choices if I decide to opt out?
A. You can stay with your current electric utility, which will continue to supply your electricity as it always has, or you can shop for an alternative generation supplier. A list of competitive electric suppliers certified by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio and their current prices is available by calling 1-800-686-PUCO (1-800-686-7826).
Q. If I join the community’s electric aggregation program, who will deliver my power, read my meter and respond to emergencies, such as power outages?
A. Your local electric utility will be responsible for the delivery of power to your home or business. Since your local electric utility still owns the wires and poles that deliver power to you, it will continue to read your meter and restore power after an outage.
Anyone having additional questions about electric or natural gas aggregation can contact Hoffman at Palmer Energy at 419-539-9180 ext. 106, or Valerie Bluhm at Palmer Energy at 419-539-1040.
