“Electric aggregation is essentially collective bargaining for energy purchasing. The City of Columbus and Trebel Energy work directly with AEP Energy as a team to manage the program. The CEC program covers the generation portion of the bill, and the 100% clean energy is supplied by AEP Energy. CEC program participants still receive one bill for transmission, distribution, and generation from AEP Ohio. Resident participation in the CEC program is voluntary, and they can opt out at any time with no fees or penalties. The City has leveraged those funds to invest in a BIPOC-focused, youth-oriented clean energy jobs program and in low-income residential energy efficiency efforts to reduce energy burden. Additionally, the CEC program is helping the City reinvest in communities impacted most by climate change through a community grant included in the program rate. Energy from individual components will start feeding into the power grid as they are completed.īy providing Ohio-based clean energy through the construction and maintenance of new wind and solar assets, the program will support nearly 4,500 jobs in Ohio. An example of one of these projects is a 50 MW solar farm being built on a closed landfill near Grove City, Ohio, which will be putting a brownfield property back into productive use as part of a growing trend of putting solar on closed landfills. This system will be in place until the 700 MW of Ohio wind and solar assets are constructed and operational. Those who did not opt out - about 80% of eligible residents and small businesses - started receiving 100% clean energy in June 2021 via a transitionary phase sourcing renewable energy certificates (RECs). Residents who do not want to participate are able to opt out. ( Source: City of Columbus)Ĭolumbus residents were given a choice to participate in the CEC program. Mock-up of the 50 MW landfill solar installation. Once fully implemented, CEC will be the largest electric aggregation in Ohio and one of the largest in the United States. Following approval, the City, Trebel Energy, and AEP Energy got to work on creating the Clean Energy Columbus (CEC) program and getting approval from the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio. In November 2020, the ballot question to create a CCA passed with 76% approval. In addition, starting in September 2020, an advisory group was convened to collect stakeholder feedback on the program throughout its design and development up until its ultimate launch. This demonstrated the City’s commitment to 100% Ohio-based clean energy and how it was possible to get there. In June 2020, the City launched a competitive bid process to identify a preferred supplier for the CCA, and the selection of AEP Energy was announced in August 2020. A CCA consultant, Trebel Energy, was hired in May 2020. In parallel to garnering community support and understanding, the City was also taking steps to ensure its readiness to move the program forward if it received voter approval. “Community choice aggregation and a commitment to 100% clean, renewable energy will transform our energy future and are key components to helping us achieve environmental justice and equity, so that all residents in central Ohio are protected from the impacts of climate change.” Beginning in July 2020, the City started holding virtual public hearings and presenting at neighborhood meetings to educate the community about CCAs and gather feedback. There were multiple steps the City took to create a CCA, foremost being the need to acquire voter approval to implement a clean-energy-based CCA program. Ginther announced the City’s commitment to pursue a 100% clean energy community choice aggregation (CCA) program to support local clean energy generation, create jobs, and help transition Columbus to a more sustainable economy. In February 2020, City of Columbus Mayor Andrew J. Category: Aggregation, Off-Site Physical PPA Program PurposeĬlean Energy Columbus, a community choice aggregation program approved by voters in 2020, enables the City of Columbus to contract for energy on behalf of residents and small businesses and provide 100% clean renewable energy through 700 MW of new solar and wind generation installations in Ohio.
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