Council reviews NOPECGreen Community Choice proposal; refers resolution to third reading

The Mentor-on-the-Lake City Council on Oct. 28 reviewed a resolution to opt the city into NOPEC's Green Community Choice program, a community option to supply participating residents and businesses with electricity backed by renewable energy credits (RECs). The resolution (2025-R-36) would change the city's default electricity aggregation enrollment to NOPEC's community green choice starting in June 2026; residents would retain the right to opt out and enroll in NOPEC's standard negotiated rates or in fixed-rate options.

Why it matters: Staff described the program as a way to provide a lower-cost pathway to renewable-backed electricity than residents could obtain individually. Administration told council that NOPEC's supplier negotiations would cap the incremental premium for renewables at about $0.02 per kilowatt-hour compared with the green rate otherwise available, and staff estimated the average household would pay roughly $1.75 more per month on the seasonal rate if enrolled by default. Participation as a community, the administration said, reduces the per-household premium compared with individuals opting in on their own.

What was said: An administrative official summarized program mechanics and potential benefits, saying the Green Choice option "ensures that the electricity provided to consumers is from verified renewable sources" through RECs and that community enrollment reduces the cost passed to customers. Council members asked whether individuals could still enroll if the city did not adopt the community option and why the offer was presented now; staff answered that individuals may still opt in on their own but would likely pay a substantially higher rate and that the three-year community program (June 2026'June 2029) requires opt-in at the program start.

Next steps: Council moved the resolution to third reading; administration agreed to follow up with NOPEC representatives (the administration had already met with Carla Presto, NOPEC relationship manager, and Diva Benavaz, NOPEC director of resiliency and sustainability) and to arrange a presentation at the next meeting if council requests it. No final vote on the resolution occurred at this meeting.

Details and limits: The administration cited an estimated carbon-reduction calculation from NOPEC for enrolling the city's households (a projected reduction on the order of 30,000 metric tons if 3,600 households participate), and said businesses and municipal enrollments could increase that figure. The administration also emphasized that the green program's rates are higher than NOPEC's standard aggregation rate and that residents may opt out at any time by contacting NOPEC.