OBERLIN — City Council may back out on a plan to buy electricity from a coal-fired plant on the Ohio River.

Council has until March 1 to pull out of a 10-year, $36-million commitment to American Municipal Power  – Ohio.

Council President David Sonner said he wants to pull out completely because Oberlin already will be buying power from the old Gorsuch coal-fired plant for at least five more years.

“There will be ceaseless intensive efforts in that time to test and put into play new technology,” Sonner said.

Two competing pieces of legislation have been introduced to Council: one to withdraw from the AMP-Ohio project and another to increase the city’s commitment to the new power plant from 9 megawatts per hour to 10 megawatts. Initially, Oberlin considered purchasing 13.3 megawatts.

But if Oberlin pulls out of AMP-Ohio, it might have to buy expensive electricity from the power grid, which is a concern for area businesses.

“We’re being told the cost of power could go up 25 to 40 percent,” said James Tyree, operations manager for General Plug & Manufacturing in Grafton, which moved 100 employees to Oberlin’s industrial park in October. “Until green is affordable, reliable and dependable, we’re at the mercy of Oberlin Municipal Light and Power.”

The estimates of 25 to 40 percent rate hikes are “probably a little high,” said Steve Dupee, manager of the city utility.

But no one knows for sure, and any increase would be difficult for residents and business, said Council member Ronnie Rimbert.

“It’s an economic balancing act,” Rimbert said. “Everybody’s searching their hearts.”

Most Council members say they don’t know what they’ll decide, and they plan on waiting to see what consultant Concentric Energy Advisors tells them in a report expected by mid-February.

Councilwoman Sharon Soucy said at least for the moment, coal-fired and nuclear plants are the only dependent options for base-line power. And despite what many residents think, it’s not cost efficient to depend on the city’s own plant at 289 S. Professor St.

That plant only operates during peak power times. Powered by eight diesel generators, it costs $130 a megawatt hour to operate — more than 2½ times, the cost of coal-fired electricity.

So far, two communities have pulled out of the proposed AMP-Ohio plant — the liberal community of Yellow Springs, the home of Antioch College, and Westerville, a city of some 35,000 residents near Columbus.

Westerville is relatively conservative and has fears of rising costs if carbon taxes are levied, Westerville Electric Utility manager Andrew Boatright said.

“Within 50 years, there will be tremendous changes in the environmental landscape,” Boatright said.

 Cleveland Public Power is one of the plant’s largest prospective customers and plans to purchase 80 megawatts per hour, but Council has not made a final decision, said Ivan Henderson, the utility’s commissioner.

Contact Cindy Leise at 653-6250 or cleise@chroniclet.com.

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