Council holds first public hearing on SOPEC electric aggregation plan

London City Council held the first of two required public hearings on a proposed electric aggregation plan with the Sustainable Ohio Public Energy Council, a regional public energy program, during its regular meeting.

Phil Leppla, deputy director and general counsel for SOPEC, told the council the plan of operation and governance is required by state law and that the city must hold two public hearings before joining. "Section 4,928.2 of the Ohio Revised Code, is where this is required to have these 2 public hearings," Leppla said.

The plan would change the supply portion of customers' electric bills by setting a new default supplier rate for eligible residential and small commercial accounts (under 700,000 kWh per year). Leppla emphasized participation is voluntary: "An individual will be notified of their inclusion in the program, but they have the opportunity to decline that service or opt out for no charge."

Leppla described SOPEC's governance and services, saying the organization is governed by its member communities and currently contracts AEP Energy as its retail supplier. He said programs typically use fixed-term pricing and recommended shorter terms (for example, one year) while market prices are volatile. "We watch the energy markets on a daily basis and receive veil pricing from AEP Energy," he said.

Council members and audience members asked about how multi‑year contracts work, whether the city could reprice if market prices fall, and how customers opt out. Leppla replied that a community can choose terms longer than one year but that a locked rate for a community cannot be lowered retroactively once purchased; communities considering successive years can adopt hedging strategies or buy blocks of future load.

Leppla also described customer service and enrollment mechanics: communities typically mail opt‑out notices and provide a 21‑day opt‑out window, with phone and QR‑code options. He said SOPEC does not charge early termination fees and that customers can opt back in at any time.

The public hearing was opened and closed during the meeting; council took no final vote on joining at the session. A second public hearing and additional council consideration are scheduled for July 17, 2025, according to the agenda materials presented.

Council staff and SOPEC representatives said the full plan and related documents are available at city hall and on SOPEC's website for residents seeking details on enrollment, rates, and renewable content options.

For next steps, the council will hold the second public hearing and may consider ordinances to approve SOPEC membership and the plan of operation and governance at a subsequent meeting.