FOSTORIA, Ohio — Fostoria residents could soon see their energy bills lowered.
The city of Fostoria has begun the process of transferring their energy provider from AEP to the Northeast Ohio Public Energy Council.
NOPEC is an aggregate energy provider, currently serving 17 counties and 235 municipalities in Ohio.
As a non-profit, NOPEC can purchase energy at bulk rates and they offer the energy to municipalities at a lower rate than most corporate energy companies.
Fostoria City Council has held two readings of the proposed energy provider change. On Tuesday, it held mandatory public input sessions.
Residents who don't want to change providers would be able to opt out if the proposal is passed.
NOPEC relationship manager Pat McNamara said that although energy rates regularly fluctuate, they should still be able to offer a lower rate for Fostoria residents.
"No one can ever tell you that we'll always be the lowest; that would be a lie, I would never want to say that. But, because we buy in bulk, we're like Costco and Sam's Club, and having the power of 235 communities behind us, we can offer lower prices to residents," McNamara said.
With public hearings now complete, Fostoria City Council will need to hold a third reading of the proposal before voting.
If approved, it would take about 90 days to transition to the new energy provider.