Staff report

GREENVILLE — Starting with the December 2021 meter reading cycle (January 2022 bills), participants in the city’s electric aggregation program will see a supplier change due to the expiration of the current contract with Dynegy Energy, reports Greenville Safety/Service Director Ryan Delk.

A new contract has been awarded to Energy Harbor LLC. This new contract will run for a period of (36) months (3 years) and be in effect from December 2021 to December 2024. With this change in suppliers, the electric supply rate will increase slightly from $0.0488/kWh to the new rate of $0.0499/kWh.

Electric supply rates in years past have been $0.0529/kWh, so while the new rate is a marginal increase over the previous (20) months, the municipalities that comprise the aggregation were comfortable that this was still a savings compared to previous residential rates offered through the electric aggregation program. It is believed that this long term fixed rate approach will provide the residents who participate with rate certainty at a time where energy markets are extremely volatile, and prices are on the rise.

New this year is an opt-in program for those aggregation customers wishing to source their electric supply with fully renewable sources. Residents may choose to opt-in to this voluntary program. The rate for the 100-percent renewable source program is $0.0556/kWh.

Ohio law requires that residents and eligible mercantile accounts be made aware of the contract rate change and a new round of Opt-Out notices will be sent to all eligible households and businesses currently participating in the city’s aggregation program and residents who are on AES’s default supply service. This will include those who have previously opted out of the program. These notices are expected to begin arriving in local mailboxes in mid-October.

Notices will not be sent to those eligible residents and mercantile accounts who currently receive their electric supply service as the result of exercising their ability to contract their own supplier/rate outside the aggregation program. Individuals on utility assistance programs may not allow retail electric supplier participation.

Residents wishing to remain in the city’s aggregation program may simply ignore the mailing. Those residents wishing to opt-in to the new 100-percent renewal source program will need to complete and return the enrollment form included with the notices.

Those residents wishing to shop for their own rate, or opt out of the city’s program should complete and return the Opt-Out Form included in the mailer prior to Nov. 8, 2021.

Those individuals not receiving a notice, but interested in additional details about the city’s aggregation program should contact Energy Harbor, LLC at 866-636-3749. You will need your AES account number handy for the call.

Greenville voters approved both an electric and natural gas aggregation program during the November 2015 election. Since then, the city has been negotiating contracts with suppliers on behalf of residents.