NEWS
NOPEC Annual Report 2008 (PDF)
February 17, 2010
NOPEC to Provide Nearly $16 Million in Energy Grants to Qualified N.E. Ohio Communities
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
Jan. 1 Rate Increase Means Unhappy New Year for Northeast Ohio
FirstEnergy unwilling to extend electric discount rates for 400,000 area residents
Solon - October 22, 2008 - Hundreds of thousands of northeast Ohio residents will see an electric rate increase January 1, 2009 if Akron-based FirstEnergy Corp. continues to refuse to extend an existing discount arrangement.
The Northeast Ohio Public Energy Council (NOPEC) asked FirstEnergy to continue the discount, in place since 2006 -- which saves residential customers 5 percent of the generation segment of their electric bill -- for several months until a new supplier provides the load. This discount has saved NOPEC customers $28 million over the past three years.
"We are extremely disappointed that FirstEnergy is unwilling to extend its current electric rates for several months and instead proposes to pass on these higher costs to area residents," said Leigh Herington, NOPEC's executive director. Herington said First Energy's decision means that 400,000 northeast Ohioans will lose the 5% discount, in addition to the rate increase that FirstEnergy has proposed for 2009.
"These are tough times, and the residents of northeast Ohio already pay high electric rates," he added.
With FirstEnergy's agreement with NOPEC due to expire at the end of the year, NOPEC signed a letter of intent to buy bulk power from Florida-based FPL Energy beginning next year to help ensure lower electric rates for northeast Ohio residents.
However, because of FirstEnergy's request to the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio to temporarily extend its rates until its long-term rate plan is approved, expected in March, NOPEC is unable to negotiate a final agreement with a competitive supplier.
"We just want them to keep this existing discount in place until their new rate plan is decided upon - which will probably be by March 2009," Herington said. "It's only fair -- as it is their actions that are delaying our agreement with an alternative supplier. It's unfortunate that they have refused to do so, and it makes NOPEC's mission - to find ways to bring less expensive energy to our residents and businesses - all the more vital."
