Hocking County commissioners heard a presentation Sept. 4 from Phil Dysart of Palmer Energy about renewing the county's electric aggregation agreement, which covers roughly 2.5 million meters in the townships and is due to expire in December.

Dysart said the prior contract averaged about "6.58¢ per kilowatt hour" and produced savings for participating residents and small businesses. After an RFP in August, Dysart said bids returned from two suppliers — Dynegy and Constellation — at approximately "9.02¢" and "9.27¢" per kilowatt hour, respectively. He noted those prices are higher than the earlier contract because "the market has gone up across the board," but still come in under the area's standard service offer from AEP, which Dysart said rose "to over 10 and a half cents" this summer and is currently "10.1¢ for small businesses."

Dysart recommended a 12-month fixed-rate refresh with Dynegy and Constellation rather than a multi-year lock, saying the county's program prefers shorter terms so it does not lock in before potential market improvements. He told the commissioners that because the energy market changes daily, the county needs a designated representative to sign the contract on the day pricing is refreshed "so we can lock in that pricing." He also said participants may opt out at no cost if a lower price becomes available during the term.

Commissioners asked clarifying questions about which entities operate separate aggregations (Dysart said the city of Logan runs its own program through a third party, SoTech) and which accounts qualify as "small business" (Dysart referenced the Ohio Revised Code definition and said it applies to accounts with annual use no greater than 700,000 kilowatt hours; mercantile accounts are excluded). The board did not take formal action at the meeting; Dysart said the county prosecutor was reviewing agreements and commissioners indicated they would follow up to authorize any signature required to lock a refreshed price.

The presentation included a note about capacity costs: Dysart said capacity charges rose sharply this year (he cited an increase from about $29 to as high as $279 per megawatt-hour-day and later $320 under a legislative cap for next year), which contributes to higher supply pricing. He recommended the 12-month term to avoid longer exposure while the market adjusts.

No vote or contract signature occurred Sept. 4; commissioners asked staff and the prosecutor to review the supplier agreements and said they would notify Dysart when they were ready to proceed.