Community Choice Electricity Aggregation (CCA) Program Services For the City of Cleveland

The City of Cleveland, Ohio is seeking Proposals from certified Competitive Retail Electric Service (CRES) providers (collectively, “Respondents”) to provide community choice electric aggregation program services for the City of Cleveland. The City’s electorate voted on November 7, 2000 to authorize the City to create an “opt-out” electric aggregation program under Chapter 4928 of the Ohio Revised Code. The City is also pursuing re-certification by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) as a government aggregator during this procurement process. The City shall maintain its independent government aggregator certificate, as well as an approved Plan of Operation & Governance (POG) separate from the chosen vendor for this aggregation program.

The City administered an electric aggregation program from 2000 to 2005, again from 2010 to 2023, then from 2023 to 2026. Approximately 50,000 residential and 5,000 small commercial customers of the Illuminating Company are eligible aggregation customers. Residents average 9,700 kWh in annual consumption and commercial customers average 33,000 kWh. The most recent aggregation services were provided by SOPEC, from June 2023 until 2026. The City is now seeking to implement a program commencing from July 2026 for a period of between twenty-four (24) and thirty-six (36) months.

The primary goals of the City’s electric aggregation program are:

1. 1. 1. Providing hassle-free lower, transparent and stable electricity costs for Cleveland’s citizens and small business customers
      2. Ensuring that selected supplier(s) provide quality, reliable and first-rate customer service
      3. Continuing to supporting renewable energy growth (‘default’ - 100% certified RECs), and promoting new local/regional renewable energy generation and growth to advance Cleveland’s sustainable economy (‘physical renewables’ through ‘additionality’).

Thereby directly contributing to lowering Cleveland’s community-wide greenhouse gas emissions by 63.3% below 2018 levels by 2030 and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, consistent with the City of Cleveland’s updated Climate Action Plan.

The City is willing to explore various approaches to obtain aggregation services to determine how to most effectively achieve these goals. The City prefers that each Respondent submit only one Proposal, including all alternatives to the Proposal that the Respondent desires the City to consider. It is encouraged that Respondents consider multiple creative and innovative approaches that clearly delineate program structure, partnerships, and vendor roles (if multiple are listed on a proposal) to achieve the City’s aggregation program goals. The City prefers proposals from “turnkey” aggregation program providers who provide all requested program services.