Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Energy Procurement topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Trumbull County weighs joining mult-county aggregate for gas; commissioners set November timeline for bids
Summary
Commissioners discussed giving the County Commissioners Association of Ohio (CCAO) permission to solicit gas aggregate bids on the county's behalf; staff said a November deadline is necessary to be included in the larger auction and cautioned that signing grants CCAO authority to seek quotes but does not commit the county to accept a bid.
Commissioners reviewed options to participate in a multi-county aggregate purchasing program for natural gas and discussed a near-term timetable for soliciting bids.
Nick (staff) reported that CCAO needs permission within the next two weeks to represent Trumbull County and solicit quotes as part of a 77-county aggregate; staff said November is a "drop-dead" date to be included in the auction process. Participation would allow the county to be part of a larger pooled procurement that could lower rates for municipal and residential customers.
Prosecutor Bill Danso cautioned that commissioners should understand the terms before giving CCAO agent authority to solicit bids on the county's behalf. He warned that some multi-county arrangements can limit competition once the procurement process advances and that commissioners should confirm opt-out options and whether quotes would be binding if the county later declines.
Commissioners also discussed practical considerations: meter lists needed to obtain firm quotes, differences in how brokers and aggregators (CCAO, Novak, Buckeye, others) operate, and the risk that an earlier commitment could prevent other groups from offering competing proposals. Staff noted the county currently has a gas rate of about $3.099 and that the electric aggregation work was handled separately.
Ending: Commissioners asked staff to obtain written proposals and legal review of any representation agreement and agreed to consider proposals from multiple aggregators before making a selection; staff said if the board does not decide by Nov. 1, it may miss this auction cycle.
