News
Athens Officials Tout Benefits Of Electrical Aggregation
By: Atish Baidya
Posted on:
City and county officials are hoping electrical aggregation will bring benefits to consumers, the environment and local economy.
On Tuesday the Southeast Ohio Public Energy Council (SOPEC), the organization formed after voters in the city and county of Athens approved electrical aggregation last November, started the bidding process for aggregation program services. Eligible companies have until Aug. 22 to submit a proposal.
“By pooling our purchasing power and focusing on energy efficiency and renewables, we hope to achieve an energy supply that's good for consumers, the environment and our regional economy," Athens Mayor Paul Wiehl said.
At a press conference Thursday officials stressed the benefits of electrical aggregation to the environment and the economy.
“Aggregation is an important tool to help us build green energy infrastructure in our region,” Athens County Commissioner Chris Chmiel said. “We can create jobs by taking a clean and sustainable approach to our energy needs”
Officials said aggregation is part of an overall energy strategy for the area. Some of the goals for the aggregation program include lower cost energy to consumers, investment into local projects important to the region’s energy future, clean and sustainable energy sources, and investment in local energy initiatives.
For a complete draft of the RFP click here.