A solar energy deal involving local green energy advocates and Ohio University is still at an apparent standstill, but the recent passing of an electric aggregation initiative in Athens County offers more hope for a deal with a local government entity.
Dr. Evan Blumer, a partner in New Harvest Ventures, the group behind Turning Point Solar, a potentially large-scale power project in Noble County, said the group is looking to have conversations with Athens city and county officials on purchasing electricity.
“We know that some of the parties involved in this aggregation are interested in developing a blended energy portfolio,” Blumer said.
Brian Kaiser, director of green jobs and innovation for the Ohio Environmental Council, said aggregating electricity gives citizens more power to control where their energy comes from and dictate the price.
“And that’s somewhere where the Turning Point project could factor in,” Kaiser said, adding that the project has tremendous support statewide and represents an economic and environmental opportunity for Athens and OU.
But electric aggregation will have no effect on the group’s dealings with OU in the short term, said Joseph Lalley, OU’s senior associate vice president of information technologies and administrative services.
“The university is already under contract through at least December 2015 for its electric supply needs,” Lalley said in an email. “I am intrigued by the possibilities the new Athens aggregation entity will bring to the community.”
Lalley said OU and New Harvest officials have spoken recently but didn’t say exactly when. He said he expects to have additional conversations before the end of the year.
Stephen Golding, OU’s vice president for finance and administration, has consulted with OU President Roderick McDavis about how and when to continue exploratory talks between the two parties, Lalley said.
He added that he is a proponent of alternative energy and has had a solar hydronic heating system in his home since 2009.
Talks with the city and county, however, could be much more fruitful in the near future for Turning Point, Blumer said.
“We believe that they want some of that to be local renewables,” he said. “We would like nothing better than to have some of the offtake going to Southeast Ohio where we all started this.”
He added though that the talks are at a similar point as they are at with OU.
“We’re respectful of the process,” Blumer said. “We believe we have a great project and a great opportunity that is starting to find a lot of traction.”
The group has been in negotiations with other potential customers as well, although Blumer wouldn’t go into specifics, other than saying he wants to attract multiple buyers instead of focusing on just one.
“That should give either the aggregation parties and the university some comfort that they’re not the only buyers, not the first buyers,” Blumer said. “We have other large, highly credit-worthy buyers both inside and outside of Ohio, so that’s our strategy.”
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This article appeared in print under the headline "Electric aggregation could sweeten deal."
