Voters in Columbus and Grove City approved electrical aggregation for 100% renewable energy in November.
As Chairman of Ready for 100 Ohio, now Executive Director of Live simply, I was heavily involved in both campaigns.
When Columbus and Grove City implemented aggregation, there was a lot of confusion. I hope to clear up a few things – and explain why these programs are so groundbreaking.
One question is the cost.
The current electricity price in Clean Energy Columbus is 5.499 cents per kilowatt hour. That is about 1/10 of a cent more than the current AEP price for a comparison of 5.36 cents / kWh. Grove City has not yet launched its electrical aggregation program and does not yet have a price.
In my household, the Columbus program makes a difference of $ 1.12 on my average utility bill. Why should I pay $ 1.12?
Because Clean Energy Columbus is a value-added program.
More:Opinion: “Cleaner Columbus” needs volunteers to remove rubbish and debris from the streets
Generator sets in Columbus and Grove City require 100% renewable energy, supplied by solar and wind projects being built here in Ohio. It will significantly cleanse our network, improve public health, and create jobs in Ohio.
According to Environmental Protection Agency models, 700 MW of renewable energy to power Columbus could save US $ 210 million in healthcare over 20 years, including 22 premature deaths and 654 fewer respiratory illnesses.
So far, Clean Energy Columbus has created around 100 jobs. When facilities to deliver our clean energy go online, hundreds more will emerge.
Clean Energy Columbus will also generate $ 1.7 million annually in community grants that prioritize low-income neighborhoods and colored communities – including support for energy efficiency upgrades, staff development and a potential green bank.
Another question is who is eligible for electrical aggregation. While all Columbus and Grove City residents could vote on issues 1 and 10, the programs will cover roughly two-thirds of residents and businesses. Ineligible are those with low-income federal payment plans, large companies with their own energy contracts, and residents with other energy contracts.
After a bidding process, Clean Energy Columbus commissioned AEP as the energy supplier. This means that Columbus Division of Power customers are not eligible.
This may seem strange as the public utilities are not currently using 100% clean energy. The Division of Power purchases electricity from American Municipal Power, around two-thirds of which is fossil fuel. However, with these purchase agreements expiring, the division intends to move to 100% clean energy.
The final question is what eligible residents and businesses must do to participate in the clean energy aggregation program.
The answer is: nothing.
The clean energy program does not apply to eligible Columbus and Grove City customers. You will be included automatically unless you choose not to. If you receive an email asking you to take steps to sign in, it is not a city program.
Eligible customers will receive an opt-out notification every three years, and anyone can opt out at any time without penalty. But I urge you to stick with the Columbus clean energy program and the Grove City program once it’s online.
Clean Energy Columbus is the largest clean energy aggregation program outside of California and the third largest in the country. This program creates jobs, purifies our air, improves our health, and invests in our community – all at a competitive price.
Let’s stick with it.
Cathy Cowan Becker is the Executive Director of Simply Living in Columbus and a member of the sustainability committees in Columbus and Grove City.
