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Franklin Township officials discuss energy aggregation plan and community solar after resident questions
Summary
Residents raised questions about a proposed township energy aggregation plan and past community solar experiences; council and staff described program goals, opt-out protections and outreach plans.
A Franklin Township public comment on April 8 prompted an extended discussion about the township’s planned energy aggregation program and community solar options, with officials outlining consumer protections, program goals and next steps.
Resident Skip Schaeffer asked for details about the consultant, whether the program would include residential and commercial customers, whether enrollment would be automatic, and about previous community-solar billing problems he experienced with EverSolar and other vendors.
Township officials said Gable Associates is the consultant the township is using to design an energy aggregation plan. Township Manager Vornlacher and council members said the program’s goals—set by voters and staff—are to secure roughly 5% in cost savings for enrolled residential customers and to supply electricity that is 10% cleaner than the current state generation mix. Officials said the plan will cover only residential accounts and that residents will be given an opt-out window if the township moves forward after bids are evaluated.
Township Manager Vornlacher characterized energy aggregation as a purchasing tool that uses the buying power of the township’s roughly 22,000 households to seek lower-cost, cleaner electricity. He told the council that prices visible today reflect a roughly three-year rolling market average and noted recent global market shocks were factored into current rates. He also said the township will publish details on its website and distribute formal notices if the council approves moving to bid.
Deputy Mayor Oudin said the state requires an opt-out approach in municipal aggregations and that residents would receive mailed notifications from the consultant if the council approves the program and bidding meets the township’s criteria. Council members said there will be a formal opt-out window and residents may opt out later if they choose; the township said an opt-out will return an account to the default basic generation service provider within 30 days.
On community solar, officials distinguished it from aggregation. Council members described community solar as a separate, residential-focused program in which up to half of subscriber slots must be reserved for low- and moderate-income households. Officials acknowledged customer-billing confusion in an earlier community-solar rollout — residents reported receiving separate bills from companies identified in the solicitation chain — and said the township will make recommended vendors and enrollment details public to reduce future problems.
Officials encouraged residents to review the township’s energy-aggregation page for updates. They also pointed to a February Board of Public Utilities announcement about higher basic generation service prices that will take effect June 1, 2025, which the township cited as additional context for seeking competitive bids.
The council did not take formal action on aggregation during the meeting; staff were directed to continue work with the consultant, monitor markets and prepare materials for public outreach if the bidding process meets the township’s stated criteria.
