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Public urges caution and competition as Cincinnati hears SOPEC electric aggregation plan
Summary
At a Citizens Forum public hearing, residents offered mixed views on a proposed agreement with the Sustainable Ohio Public Energy Council (SOPEC): proponents cited savings and renewable goals while students and consumer advocates urged a competitive procurement and more transparency before locking in a single supplier.
Residents packed the Citizens Forum to weigh in on a proposed agreement between the city and the Sustainable Ohio Public Energy Council (SOPEC), testing the city’s push to expand electric aggregation while underscoring strong public concern for transparency and competitive procurement.
Several speakers urged council to move slowly and ensure the city extracts the best terms. “We deserve a system that actually lowers bills and not one that limits my choices,” said Josie Morrow, a University of Cincinnati student who said rising energy costs threaten her ability to pay rent. Morrow asked council to require an open bidding process rather than committing to a single supplier.
Other residents emphasized the environmental goals attached to aggregation. Larry Falcon, who identified himself as a Pleasant Ridge resident with experience in aggregation programs, told council he supports the agreement with SOPEC and that aggregation can advance the Green Cincinnati Plan while delivering economic value. “It offers us the opportunity to give the same benefits to our business community that we already give to our residential community,” Falcon said.
Concerns about corporate behavior also surfaced. Rosie Davis raised the example of Ohio’s House Bill 6 corruption scandal and urged council to vet partners for transparency and clean-energy investment rather than legacy fossil assets. “Cincinnati deserves better than business as usual,” she said.
City Council members signaled that the matter will be discussed in committee before any final action. Council Member Owens (committee chair) said she would be willing to bring SOPEC or alternative suppliers into committee conversations to explore how aggregation could meet the city’s goals for lower costs and more renewables.
The public hearing laid out the central tensions for council’s next steps: whether to prioritize speed and a single-party agreement that supporters say can deliver immediate aggregate buying power, or to insist on a formal competitive procurement intended to protect consumer choice and assure the public that the city has secured the best possible rates. The council did not vote on a supplier at the meeting; committee review was offered as the next procedural step.
