Commissioners meet with Palmer Energy for update

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EATON — On Monday, Aug. 1, Preble County Commissioners heard from a representative from Palmer Energy regarding electric aggregation.

Palmer representative Amy Hoffman explained to commissioners the progress made toward placing electric aggregation on the November ballot for certain townships in the county. Palmer Energy has been making its way to meeting with county and township officials about the advantages of going with aggregated electricity.

Palmer Energy is offering to group local institutions together buy energy at a smaller volume while retaining the economic advantage of a higher volume purchase, according to Hoffman. Townships or other entities could buy energy together for a smaller rate.

Hoffman explained, “Dixon, Jackson, Jefferson, and Monroe are in the aggregation and it’s going well.”

Hoffman also explained she believed Lanier Township would put it on the ballot and Gasper Township was unsure.

Commissioner Adam Craft added, “Bad news and I’ve been meaning to get with you, so we’ll address it,” he said. “Lanier rescinded theirs. Gasper has not rescinded theirs, but they’re considering.”

Hoffman provided commissioners a packet with the usage of the current supplier compared to the usage if it was through Palmer Energy. Hoffman compared the latest bill she received from the office for April. She compared the rate to that of the supplier and what it would have been through the CCAO program. Hoffman reminded the commissioners, “You’re not in a contract because everything else is the standard choice offer, meaning it’s through the utility. So, you can leave that — there’s no contracts for those, you leave them at any time.”

According to Hoffman, if this does get approved in November there will be a contract until March 2025.

Hoffman told commissioners about a trigger system in place for the rates if the rates begin to get too high during the winter. Some hedges would help to cut the rate of energy if the rate rises above five. If a rate rises too high a hedge will be triggered and the rate will be cut by 20 percent. According to Hoffman this would be a way to “conserve” the hedges and rates during the colder months and especially when the market is rising.

Although, this has yet to be on the ballot Craft stated, “There’s been some, you know, push back and we kind of knew that there would be, trying to get it all underneath one contract.”

By Callista Kisling

[email protected]

Reach Callista Kisling at 937-683-4056.

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