NEWS
NOPEC Annual Report 2008 (PDF)
December 2, 2009
FirstEnergy Solutions and NOPEC Enter into Nine-Year Agreement
June 10, 2009
Electric Rate Savings on the Way for Nopec Customers in Northeast Ohio
April 6, 2009
NOPEC Formalizes Green Deal That Could Save Northeast Ohio Tens of Millions In Electric Costs
February 27, 2009
Northeast Ohio Could Realize Savings in June
February 23, 2009
NOPEC Locks in Lower Natural Gas Prices for Northeast Ohio
NOPEC Formalizes Green Deal That Could Save Northeast Ohio Tens of Millions In Electric Costs
April 6, 2009 - Solon, OH - The Northeast Ohio Public Energy Council (NOPEC) today signed a contract with Gexa Energy Ohio LLC ("Gexa Energy") that is expected to result in significant savings for about 600,000 residents and businesses in the region.
Gexa Energy is a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources LLC., North America's leading generator of solar and wind power and part of FPL Group Inc., Juno Beach, Florida. Based on current projections, the contract could save customers in its 126-community, northeast Ohio footprint up to $50 million over a two-year period. The agreement and total savings will be finalized after FirstEnergy puts its electric generation rates to auction in mid-May.
"The auction will establish the price for NOPEC to beat. We will then work with our new supplier to get the electricity rate down to a competitive point," said Leigh Herington, NOPEC executive director. NOPEC has historically saved its customers about five percent off the generation portion of bills.
NOPEC represents a very large aggregation of cities and customers and negotiates to buy bulk electricity and natural gas at competitive rates and passes along the savings to its customers. NOPEC expects its new electric rates to take effect as soon as August 1. The contract would extend up to 22 months and through May 2011. In addition to the renewable supplies required by the new Ohio renewable energy portfolio standards for utilities and competitive suppliers, Gexa Energy has agreed to supply additional "Green-e" certified renewable energy credits from NextEra's renewable generation fleet. These additional renewable energy credits will make GEXA's renewable content 50 percent higher than will be offered by FirstEnergy's auction supply.
"This is about using our collective buying power to save money while also being green," Herington said, emphasizing that the deal stands to save northeast Ohio consumers cash while also being good for the environment. "We want to bring the region competitively-priced energy but do so in an environmentally responsible manner."
NOPEC first announced that it signed a letter of intent with FPL Energy (now called NextEra Energy Resources) last September. FPL Group Inc. is the parent company of Gexa Energy and NextEra Energy Resources, and is the nation's leading clean energy provider. This announcement follows successful negotiations and discussions with FirstEnergy, the PUCO and other stakeholders that have paved the way for the Gexa agreement.
"We look forward to FirstEnergy's cooperation in the months ahead as we resume our signature electricity program to our consumers," Herington said.
With the new agreement, NOPEC expects to increase its customer base from about 400,000 to as many as 600,000, with the addition of new residents and business that have moved into and around NOPEC communities since eligibility was last reviewed in 2005. GEXA will conduct regular mover mailings to enroll all eligible customers in the program area to receive the discounted electric rates.
Joseph Migliorini, NOPEC chairman, said the signing of the contract with GEXA Energy came at the end of a huge, hard-fought battle with local utility interests that will yield electric savings at a time when people and businesses need it most.
"Northeast Ohio is blessed to have NOPEC," said Migliorini, whose position is unpaid. "We are a non-profit utility watchdog. No taxpayer dollars are used, and we have a very lean staff dedicated to making northeast Ohio more economically viable by making energy available at reduced rates."
NOPEC'S member communities are located in nine northeast Ohio counties: Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Medina, Portage, Summit and Trumbull.
For more information, go to www.NOPECinfo.org.
