Richland County approves 12-month electrical aggregation agreement with Dyna G after single RFP response

Richland County commissioners approved a 12-month electrical aggregation agreement with Dyna G Energy Services on Sept. 16, 2025, following a report from Palmer Energy that a single supplier responded to the county’s recent request for proposals. The agreement, as presented to the board, would run through Dec. 2026 at a rate of $0.0831 per kilowatt-hour (8.31 cents).

The action affects residential and small-commercial accounts in participating areas and follows a presentation by Palmer Energy consultants Amy Hoffman and Kirk Mazaric. Hoffman told commissioners, “Current aggregation ends in December, and the rate has been 0.0665,” identifying the prior aggregated rate; she said the RFP covered roughly 2,400 eligible meters and about 28,000,000 kilowatt-hours annually across Franklin, Mifflin and Sandusky townships and spans both Ohio Edison and AEP service territories.

Kirk Mazaric, Palmer Energy’s executive vice president, explained why the RFP drew only one bid: “The reality is our industry is very cyclical…you just see the constant attrition…and…people are shying away from it currently right now.” He and Hoffman told the board that capacity costs — charges from regional capacity auctions handled by PJM — have risen sharply and are driving a substantial portion of the increase in the presented aggregation price. Mazaric said that recent capacity auctions excluded some renewable resources from counting toward capacity, increasing the apparent need for generation in the auction construct.

Commissioners heard Palmer’s recommendation to take a 12-month contract rather than a longer term so the county would not lock in a higher fixed price if capacity pricing falls in the near term. As Palmer put it, “We don't wanna put you in a long term agreement…so that's why we felt it was more important to stay at a 12 month deal this time.”

The board voted to accept Palmer’s recommendation and proceed with Dyna G; the county will send opt-out enrollment letters to impacted customers before switching. Hoffman said the opt-out notice will state the aggregation, the supplier, the term and the rate and that residents who do nothing will be enrolled, with the option to opt out at any time. Commissioners and staff also noted the sample master agreement was being reviewed by county counsel and staff before signature; the board did not execute a signed contract at the Sept. 16 meeting.

Why it matters: The aggregation enrolls residents automatically unless they opt out; the rate shown to commissioners (0.0831) is higher than the current aggregation rate (0.0665) presented in the meeting, and Palmer said the increase is driven mainly by rising capacity charges in PJM capacity auctions. County staff told the public the enrollment notices would go out in late October and that aggregation participants could opt out or rejoin at any time.

Votes and next steps: Commissioners voted to move forward with the Dyna G recommendation on Sept. 16; staff will finalize the master agreement, coordinate the signature with county counsel and send opt-out letters to affected customers. Palmer recommended re-evaluating the market next year to determine whether a longer term would be advisable if capacity conditions change.