|
|
|
|
|
SOPEC Clarifies It Isn't Seeking To Broker Residential Customers, Following Opposition From NOPEC
The following story is brought free of charge to readers by VertexOne, the exclusive EDI provider of EnergyChoiceMatters.com
Southeast Ohio Public Energy Council d/b/a Sustainable Ohio Public Energy Council (SOPEC) submitted a revised application for an Ohio electricity "power broker" license to serve only commercial, industrial, and mercantile customers, in all service areas, with such revision removing residential customers as a class for which broker authority is sought, in what SOPEC called a correction and clarification
SOPEC serves as a municipal aggregator for dozens of Ohio communities, including Dayton and Cleveland, under a separate governmental aggregation authority.
SOPEC's amended application follows a filing from the Northeast Ohio Public Energy Council
(NOPEC) which opposed the grant of residential broker authority to SOPEC
As noted below, NOPEC included small commercial
customers in listing NOPEC's concerns with SOPEC's broker application, but, in a filing with PUCO, NOPEC only specifically sought that PUCO deny SOPEC’s
request to provide power brokerage services to residential customers (NOPEC's filing was a motion to intervene and thus may not have reflected the full relief NOPEC may potentially seek in the proceeding)
NOPEC had alleged, based on SOPEC's original application, that the use of the SOPEC name in communities in which SOPEC is not the community's selected governmental aggregator, "will likely result in mass confusion for residential customers and damage the
reputation of governmental aggregation programs generally."
NOPEC had alleged, "By using the 'SOPEC' name, SOPEC will be viewed as a 'trusted governmental
aggregator' within communities even if it has not complied with statutory requirements necessary
to include the community within its aggregation program."
NOPEC had alleged, "When providing power brokerage services to residential customers, SOPEC will capitalize
on this sense of trust conveyed by its name."
NOPEC had alleged, "If SOPEC brokers CRES to residential and small commercial
customers in communities with existing governmental aggregation programs, SOPEC will sow
confusion for those customers regarding what entity is, in fact, the community-approved
governmental aggregator. This confusion and uncertainty will negatively impact public trust in
governmental aggregation programs more generally, including those offered by NOPEC."
NOPEC had alleged, "Even if SOPEC is not the
governmental aggregator for the community, residential customers are likely to believe SOPEC is
serving in this role based solely on its name and aggregation branding."
NOPEC had alleged, "SOPEC’s recent attempts to serve C&I customers in the City of Cincinnati is
an example of SOPEC creating customer confusion.
In September and October of 2025, SOPEC pitched to the City of Cincinnati the idea of an
opt-in Mercantile Aggregation Program, ostensibly to enable SOPEC to market competitive retail
electric service to commercial and industrial customers in the City of Cincinnati. Nearly all
residents testified in opposition to the proposal at two public hearings, with many confused as to
what service SOPEC would be providing. Even more confusion is likely if residential customers
are asked to discern between an aggregation offer from a governmental aggregator and a CRES
offer from SOPEC."
NOPEC also alleged that, in SOPEC's original application, "SOPEC
chose to submit its financial statements under seal. SOPEC did so even though: (1) its most recent
final financial audit by the Ohio Auditor of State ('Auditor') is publicly available on the Auditor’s
website5 and (2) SOPEC’s financial statements are non-confidential public records."
Case 26-0048-EL-AGG
ADVERTISEMENT Copyright 2026 EnergyChoiceMatters.com. Unauthorized copying, retransmission, or republication
prohibited. You are not permitted to copy any work or text of EnergyChoiceMatters.com without the separate and express written consent of EnergyChoiceMatters.com
February 9, 2026
Email This Story
Copyright 2026 EnergyChoiceMatters.com
Reporting by Paul Ring • ring@energychoicematters.com
NEW Jobs on RetailEnergyJobs.com:
• NEW -- Billing Analyst - Retail Supplier
• NEW -- Manager, ISO Coordination (electricity), Retail Supplier
• Refreshed 2/2/26 -- Account Executive (Commercial Retail Energy)
|
|
|
|
|