News
ELECTRIC AGGREGATION - FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Ohio Governmental Aggregation
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What is governmental aggregation?
A. Governmental aggregation is an easy and effective way for a large group of consumers to save money on their electric bills.
Ohio law allows for communities - such as townships, cities, villages and counties - to form aggregated buying groups to purchase electric generation on behalf of their citizens. By bringing citizens together, the aggregation gains group buying power and typically can negotiate a better price with the supplier than each aggregation group member could have negotiated individually. The governmental aggregator chooses the electric supplier for all of the customer-members in its group.
On Election Day, your community will have the issue of electric aggregation on the ballot. By voting FOR electric aggregation, you will allow your locally elected officials to purchase electric supply at a discounted rate for your community.
Q. How do residents join a governmental aggregation program?
A. First, the governmental aggregation issue must be placed on the ballot and then passed by a majority of the voters. Once passed, all eligible residents and small businesses in the community will be enrolled and will begin receiving the discounted supply pricing under the program. Residents do not need to do anything to join the program. However, anyone who does not want to participate in the program can easily opt out by returning a form, which will be mailed to all eligible members.
Q. What does opt out mean?
A. Since all eligible residents are automatically enrolled in the governmental aggregation program, those residents who do not want to participate are given the opportunity to opt out. By returning the opt-out form by the due date, which is included in a letter that is mailed to all eligible residents, residents can choose not to be enrolled as a electric supply customer with the community's competitive electric supplier.
Q. What happens if I do not send in the opt-out form?
A. Governmental aggregation is designed so it is easy for residents to save money on their electric bills. So, if you do not return the opt-out form postmarked by the due date, you will be included in the community's governmental aggregation program and will begin receiving competitively priced electric from the community's competitive electric supplier.
Q. Can I opt out of the program at a later date?
A. Yes, you will be sent a notice at least every three years asking if you wish to remain in the program. At that point, you may opt out at no cost. In addition to being able to opt-out during opt-out periods, there is also no fee to leave (or join) the program at any time.
Q. What are my energy supply choices if I decide to opt out?
A. You can stay with your current electric utility, which will continue to supply your electricity as it always has, or you can shop for an alternative generation supplier. A list of competitive electric suppliers certified by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio and their current prices is available by calling 1-800-686-PUCO (l-800-686-7826).
Q. If I join the community's electric aggregation program, who will deliver my supply, read my meter and respond to emergencies?
A. Your local electric utility will be responsible for the delivery of electric supply to your home or business. Since your local electric utility still maintains the electric grid system that deliver electricity to you, it will continue to read your meter, take care of repairs or outages.
Q. What are the key steps in an Opt-Out Aggregation?
A. With the assistance of a PUCO certified consultant, a community seeks bids from Certified Retail Electric Service Providers. A qualified bidder is selected to supply the aggregation. An "Opt-Out" notice is sent to each eligible county resident prior to the start of the aggregation. Each resident has 21 days to withdraw or "Opt-Out" of the program. After the 21-day period, any resident not opting out will be submitted for enrollment. The utility will send notice of the pending enrollment to each participating resident. Each resident has 7 days to rescind their enrollment. The new supplier will appear on your electric bill within one to two billing cycles after enrollment is verified by the utility.
PRESS RELEASE - ELECTRIC AGGREGATION 2026
PRESS RELEASE ELECTRIC AGGREGATION 2026.pdf
For Immediate Release
09/22/2025
Price Increase Ahead for Clinton County Electric Aggregation Program in December
Energy Aggregation
Wilmington— 09/22/2025 — “The Board of Clinton County Commissioners have completed reviewing pricing from potential providers for the Clinton County electric aggregation program for the period beginning December 2025, when the current contract expires. It is important to note that, while the program strives to secure the best possible rates, residents should be aware of an upcoming price increase set to take effect.
The program covers communities in the city of Wilmington, Sabina, and countywide incorporated areas, and county villages, including Midland and Port William. The new rate for residential and small commercial aggregation participants stands at a competitive $0.0898 per kilowatt hour (kWh) for 2026 compared to the current rate of $0.06570 per kWh.
With the impending price increase, it’s essential to consider the potential impact on your electricity costs. The Clinton County Commissioners understand that many residents are concerted about rising utility expenses, and while the new rate is a result of careful negotiation, it does represent an increase from the previous rate.
If you’re not already enrolled and are interested in taking advantage of this cost-effective program, the Clinton County Commissioners want you to know that it’s not too late to do so. Residents can enroll in the program at any time by reaching out to the current supplier, Dynegy Energy at 1-888-682-2170. Please make sure you state “Clinton County Aggregation Program”.
Upon enrollment, you will automatically transition to the new contract. It’s worth noting that participants have the option to opt out at the time of the new contract and can cancel at any time without incurring any fees.
In 2012, the Clinton County Commissioners introduced the concept of aggregation, providing residents with an opportunity to access bulk pricing for electricity, resulting in reduced rates for those who choose to participate.
Aggregation is an approved government program that authorizes local officials to purchase electricity from a certified electric generation supplier, as recognized by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO). For this contract period, Dynegy Energy was selected as the electric service provider for Clinton County.
While the 2026 aggregation program is set to bring about a price increase, the goal of this initiative remains to secure the best possible rates for residents in an ever-changing energy landscape. To learn more and enroll contact Dynegy Energy today to understand the details and potential cost implications of the upcoming rate adjustment.
Clinton County Commissioners Engage Spectrum for County-Wide Fiber Build
Wilmington, Ohio. Clinton County Commissioners have allocated $7.6 million with over $6.5 million from the federal American Rescue Plan Act funds toward upgrading existing connectivity and expanding broadband internet access to un-served and under-served parts of our county.
Commissioners signed a contract with Charter Communications/Spectrum for the installation of nearly 400 miles of new fiber optic infrastructure to more than 3,000 homes and small businesses with completion expected within 18 months of the approved pole permit necessary to complete the entire Project Area.
The Board of Commissioners initially commissioned a study which included public meetings as well as other public input through April, 2022, to confirm existing access to adequate internet services, priorities and the specific needs of the community in the areas of remote work, e-learning/education, telehealth, public safety and business needs. The study confirmed 47% of respondents completely lacked internet access.
In a separate $11 million project beginning in January, 2022, Spectrum began construction of fiber infrastructure in Clinton County under the FCC Rural Digital Opportunity fund to bring broadband services to more than 2,000 locations, activations for this phase of the project are 85% complete.
The combined projects and investments from both parties total more than $29 million for Clinton County and will deliver speeds of up to 1 Gbps with minimum speeds of 300 Mbps download and 10 Mbps upload. Once complete, more than 5,000 homes and small business across all 13 townships within the county will have access to broadband and other services.
“Internet connectivity is critical for families, students, businesses. This fiber installation places Clinton County in a great position strategically for the right type of growth, to keep and to attract good companies to the county. Allocating ARPA dollars to reach unserved and underserved areas of the county was an opportunity to use the federal funds in a manner to do the greatest good for the community, for something that would make an impact for years to come,” Commissioner Kerry R. Steed said.
“We heard from schools and parents that children were having difficulty connecting for remote learning, we heard from employers and employees that remote work was impossible in some cases, telehealth could not be accessed, we heard from the agricultural community the importance of connectivity for their business, this is a huge step forward in providing all of Clinton County with the fiber infrastructure needed for residents, businesses and future controlled growth,” stated Commissioner Mike McCarty.
“This improvement in our infrastructure to state-of-the-art technology places Clinton County in a position to attract businesses and to support the needs of residents,” stated Commissioner Brenda K. Woods.
**********************************************************************
For Immediate Release: June 5, 2023
For more information, press only:
Clinton County Commissioners
Lisa Hipke, Clerk
937-382-2103
hipke.lisa@clintoncountyohio.us
County Commissioners publish statement on Solar
The Clinton County Board of Commissioners in session today stated their objections to the plans of Invenergy to build large solar arrays in the southern part of Clinton County.
Yellow Wood Solar Project as proposed in Clark and Jefferson townships would consist of 740,000 solar panels, ground-mounted on a tracking rack system. The project would occupy approximately 2,460 acres within an approximate 4,400-acre project area and would include associated infrastructure including access roads, operations, and maintenance building, underground and overhead electric collection lines, weather stations, inverters, and transformers, a collection substation, and a 345-kV gen-tie electric transmission line. The project would be secured by 6’ tall perimeter fencing with a standard 300’ setback from fence line to residences.
Commissioner Brenda K. Woods stated, “Our neighbors in other counties have seen firsthand the lack of accountability once thousands of these panels and related infrastructure are installed. There are issues with disruptive and continual noise during construction, ongoing drainage and erosion that affect neighboring properties, and a reduction in neighboring property values. I remain concerned about the lack of oversight, maintenance, and upkeep over a long, 30+-year installation as well as end-of-life removal and disposal of the equipment. Agreement has not been reached on essential terms for Clinton County, including substantial increases in all setbacks and authority to approve or deny stormwater mitigation plans. This agreement does not protect the county and its citizens who are directly affected. We do not want this for our Clinton County residents.”
Commissioner Kerry R. Steed added, “I am on the record as being 100% opposed to these types of industrial-scale solar projects. I find it unacceptable that this industrial-scale solar project takes thousands of acres of the most productive farmland in the state out of use and negatively affects the ag economy in Clinton County.”
Commissioner Mike McCarty stated, “from the beginning, I’ve been concerned about the lack of accountability. Based upon their own statements, the Ohio Power Siting Board does not proactively monitor or enforce compliance once the sites are built. When you look at projects in other counties, which I have, you can see firsthand the results of this lack of accountability. The project sites are poorly maintained and for a project that will require a commitment to ongoing maintenance for 30 or more years, that is a significant concern.”
The Commissioners also discussed their opposition to an anticipated request by Invenergy to receive a tax abatement, which would effectively reduce the anticipated full value of taxes on their project to all taxing authorities over a 30-year period.
BOARD APPLICATIONS ACCEPTED
County Commissioners seek Qualified Candidates
An important responsibility of the board of Clinton County Commissioners is the appointment of citizens to serve on various boards that oversee important activities throughout the county. Finding qualified people to serve on these boards can sometimes be a challenge.
Board appointments are made for the following organizations: Rural Zoning Commission, The Clinton County Port Authority; The LEGACY Committee, Zoning Board of Appeals, The Public Defender’s Board, Board of Developmental Disability, Regional Airport Authority Board, Elderly Services Board, Regional Planning Commission, Joint Recreation District, and The Wilmington Public Library. Other board positions are needed for overseeing the community reinvestment areas, Metropolitan Housing Authority, Human Services, Mental Health/Recovery Services, Emergency Communications, and others.
Anyone interested in serving on a community board should contact the office of the County Commissioners and request a board member questionnaire. Once this questionnaire is completed and returned, the person will be eligible for consideration for serving on one of the community service boards.
The questionnaire is available online at https://co.clinton.oh.us/ApplicationsPermits
OR, at the Commissioner’s Office, 46 S. South Street, Wilmington, OH 45177, or by calling the office at 937-382-2103.