Perrysburg council opposes bill that would penalize energy conservation

11/19/2013
BLADE STAFF

Perrysburg City Council voted 7-0 today to oppose a bill pending in Columbus that would allow utilities to charge people for energy conservation.

Mayor Nelson Evans said Senate Bill 58 and House Bill 302 would penalize people who try to conserve by billing them for electricity they no longer consume.

"There is no saving for energy saving," Mayor Evans said. "I don't understand why they are even doing this."

Earlier this month Lake Township trustees also opposed the bill, which they said would allow FirstEnergy and other utilities to charge ratepayers $20 for the use of compact fluorescent lightbulbs that use much less electricity than the traditional incandescent bulbs they replace.

Mayor Evans praised FirstEnergy's response, however, to power outages in Perrysburg caused by a severe thunderstorm that skilled through the city Sunday evening. As of early in the evening, 39 customers in the city were still without power, but the mayor said he had been told all the lights would be back on by 10 p.m.

"They handled it really well," Mr. Evans said during the meeting. "Hopefully by the end of the week everyone will almost be back to normal."

The council also passed 7-0 for the city to pay the lowest bidder, American Property Analysts, Inc., $27,900 to negotiate the acquisition of right-of-way to widen the intersection of State Rt. 25 and Eckel Junction Road. 

Altogether five lanes will be added to the intersection, and lengthen other lanes that taper down away from the intersection. The estimated cost of the work is $2.2 million.