NOPEC met for its annual General Assembly meeting on November 18. There was much to celebrate this year, including NOPEC's 25th anniversary of serving Ohio communities. Were you unable to attend? Here are five things from the 2025 General Assembly you don't want to miss.
NOPEC celebrates 25 years of service
Check out the video below about why NOPEC was formed and how NOPEC fulfills its mission to aggregate, educate, and advocate for member communities.
NextEra Renewal for Electric & Natural Gas
In September of this year, the NOPEC Board of Directors approved a new nine-year supply contract for both natural gas and electricity with NextEra Energy Services. This sees the continuation of programming such as our NOPEC Energized Community Grant, an enhanced commitment to sustainability support for our communities, and locked-in, favorable supplier rates, as well as ensuring stability in NOPEC's partnership with NextEra.
Economic Development Updates + Neighborhood Next Program
This year, NOPEC closed on a first-of-its-kind, low carbon, high quality housing project in Ashtabula County. Providing energy-efficient houses for low to middle income families, NOPEC has allowed these families to possess more than 50% equity on a $220,000 home at an estimated cost of less than $1300 per month.
In 2025, NOPEC also continued to administer grants across our footprint, including more than $120,000 to small businesses for energy audits and $4.5 million to member communities through the NOPEC Energized Community Grant Program.
Voting: New NOPEC board members confirmed
Through election, NOPEC welcomed Don McDaniel, Mayor of Lancaster, representing Central Ohio to the Board of Directors, along with Kassie Scott, Economic Development Manager for the City of Springfield, representing Southwest Ohio.
Also re-elected were:
John Zehentbaur – representing Columbiana County
Mayor Kevin Brubaker – representing Lorain County
Larry D. Jenkins, Jr. - representing Portage County
Peter Them – representing Richland County
Nick Dutro – representing Seneca County
Alan Swank – representing Southeast Ohio
Mayor Nick Molnar – representing Summit County
Mayor Doug Franklin – representing Trumbull County
The General Assembly also voted on and approved 3 resolutions including welcoming eight new communities to the aggregation, changes to the NOPEC bylaws to add term limits to the Board chair position among other changes, as well as the 2026 budget.
Resiliency and Sustainability: 2025 NOPEC SolSmart Cohort and More
NOPEC recognized 20 communities that participated in the SolSmart Cohort, with 5 of the communities earning bronze or silver SolSmart designation. SolSmart helps streamline solar permitting, zoning, and inspections, making it easier, faster, and more affordable for residents and businesses to go solar.
The 2025 NOPEC General Assembly Meeting was a busy one, with many important achievements and moments from this past year highlighted during the event. During the meeting, NOPEC was also happy to recognize the winners of the 2025 Energy Champion Award at the General Assembly. This award recognized legislators for their efforts to introduce pro-consumer energy legislation. Read more about the Energy Champion Award here.
Categories: NOPEC | News | Aggregation | Sustainability
