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Mansfield approves joining NOPEC electricity aggregation after public hearing
Summary
Following a public hearing and presentation from NOPEC, Mansfield city council approved ordinances to join the Northeast Ohio Public Energy Council, authorizing the plan of operation and membership agreement and establishing an opt-out period for residents.
Mansfield city council voted to join the Northeast Ohio Public Energy Council (NOPEC) after a public hearing in which NOPEC representatives described the organization’s aggregation model, member benefits and consumer protections.
NOPEC Director of Community Expansion Ross McDonald and colleagues explained that NOPEC operates as a public council of governments that aggregates electric supply for member communities to secure bulk purchasing power and member-only pricing. Officials said the program offers multiple product choices—NOPEC’s ‘‘standard program’’ to manage market volatility, fixed-rate options and a monthly variable product guaranteeing 6% below the price-to-compare—along with a no-fee, supplier-paid model for communities. NOPEC representatives also emphasized resident education and a staffed call center to handle questions.
Council members asked about bill identification, the opt-out letter and how existing retail contracts would be handled. NOPEC said the supply portion of the utility bill will identify the supplier (the presentation named NextEra Energy Services Ohio as a supplier option) and confirmed the opt-out letter process and an opt-out window scheduled in materials for May 14–June 3, with mailed notices on May 13. NOPEC representatives clarified they do not operate distribution lines or perform outage restoration, but they can serve as an advocate in regulatory or customer-service matters.
After the public hearing and a period for questions from residents, council moved to waive further readings and passed two ordinances: the plan of operation and governance (26-034A) and the agreement establishing NOPEC membership and bylaws (26-034B). The measures passed unanimously. The city administration and NOPEC staff said they will proceed with the opt-out mailings and resident outreach ahead of a targeted July 1 implementation date for the aggregation program.
