The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) is giving consumers an opportunity to express their views regarding their electric companies plans for rate increases and implementing Senate Bill 221, Ohio’s new energy law.

If you believe that alternative sources of energy and savings options are important for residential and small business customers, be sure to submit comments to the PUCO. Ask the agency to make its decisions based on what is best for the customer and the environment, and that Ohio-based utilities meet or beat the standards set in SB221. The PUCO also needs to encourage and promote large-scale governmental aggregation and ensure that organizations like Northeast Ohio Public Energy Council (NOPEC) can provide its customers with a competitive or lower rate while investing in the renewable energy future for our state that includes strong energy efficiency standards.

Send comments to:
PUCO, Docketing Division, 180 E. Broad St., Columbus, Ohio 43215.
Include the case number: 08-935-EL-SSO for FirstEnergy customers; 08-0917-EL-SSO and 08-0918-EL-SSO for American Electric Power customers; and 08-0920-EL-SSO, 08-0921-EL-AAM, 08-0922-EL-UNC and 08-0923-EL-ATA for Duke Energy customers.

For more information, visit
http://www.puco.ohio.gov/PUCO/Consumer/Information.cfm?id=8496

Click here to download a sample letter.

Click here to download a fact sheets from the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel.

Click here to download a fact sheet from Environment Ohio.

COMMUNITY CHOICE AGGREGATION IN NORTHEAST OHIO

EarthWatch Ohio sponsored the Paul Fenn meeting in Cleveland on July 1.
Fenn talked about the potential for Ohio communities to accelerate
development of green power under its 1999 Community Choice Aggregation
(CCA) law. Fenn briefed us on the San Francisco Bay Area's cluster of
communities using CCA in conjunction with innovative financing
mechanisms to develop and build solar, wind, efficiency, and other
renewable technologies in local communities-and specifically why it is
possible for these communities to achieve a 51% Renewable Portfolio
Standard by 2017 without increasing electricity rates.

Click on this link to view the PowerPoint presentation Paul Fenn gave
at the July 1 meeting.

Click on this link to view a 20-minute video titled "Going Local: The
Movement for Community Choice Energy."

Click on www.localpower.com for more information on Paul Fenn and Local
Power.

If you are interested in working on creating Community Choice
Aggregation in your community, please contact Stefanie Spear at
spear@earthwatchohio.org or 216-387-1609.