Amesville participated in the program and used money from it to install a solar panel.
Athens officials are considering a partnership with American Electric Power and Columbia Gas that will give the city money if residents and businesses participate in energy-saving programs.
Representatives from AEP and Columbia Gas spoke to Athens City Council on Monday night regarding AEP’s Community Energy Savers Program.
The program allows communities to receive cash incentives if they meet “mutually established energy saving goals” within a three or five month time frame, said Jack Laverty, a representative from Columbia Gas.
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Those incentives can then be used to support a community development project.
Mike LaScola, training and education coordinator at AEP Ohio, said the groups work with AEP and Columbia Gas to determine what goals and timeline work best for the area.
“There’s a lot of flexibility built in so when you get your team together ... we’ll work on a timeline,” he said.
LaScola said AEP Ohio already has worked with at least six communities, including Amesville, Lima, Louisville, Rio Grande and Upper Arlington.
All met their goals within the established timeline.
Amesville entered the program last July and used its incentive money to install a solar power system on the history kiosk in Gifford Park.
Amesville Mayor Gary Goosman spoke at the city council meeting about his involvement in the program, saying Amesville focused mainly on residential programs, since the town doesn’t have many businesses.
LaScola said he was already working with UpGrade Athens County and the Athens County Commissioners Office on some of the details. AEP has donated 48,000 LED bulbs, which will be given away to businesses and residences that undergo sustainability assessments from the energy company, he said.
Those assessments would cost homeowners between $25 and $50, LaScola added.
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LaScola also said the program would help underscore Athens’ commitment to sustainability while they compete in the Georgetown University Energy Prize competition, through which the county could be awarded $5 million to fund energy-saving projects.
Athens Mayor Paul Wiehl said he was concerned about when to begin the program, as it will need a considerable amount of community involvement, and many Ohio University students are out of town for summer break.
“If we decide we’re moving forward and everyone here is excited about it we’ll get a team together,” LaScola said.
Council members also passed two pieces of legislation at Monday’s meeting.
The first piece of legislation finalized the acquisition of the West Union Street Cemetery.
That ordinance has been in the works since May after the cemetery’s trustees announced they would no longer be able to fund the cemetery.
Ohio Revised Code mandates that jurisdiction of cemeteries fall to municipalities if the owners can no longer fund them.
“I think that all our ducks are in a row,” Councilman Jeff Risner, D-2nd Ward, said regarding the ordinance.
Council also passed a measure revising staffing levels in order to account for new seasonal and part-time city employees.
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