Reily trustees approve electric aggregation rate increase

The Reily Township Board of Trustees approved an electric aggregation rate increase of more than one cent per kWh for a 2-year period during its regular meeting on Feb. 18.

The board passed a resolution adopting an electric aggregation program in 2023, in which it grouped consumers in the area to obtain a competitive rate. The board chose Constellation NewEnergy as its supplier for residents and small businesses through the electric aggregation program.

Beginning in June 2025, residents and small businesses enrolled in the program were charged a fixed rate of 8.738 cents per kWh.

Residents were automatically enrolled unless they chose to opt out. Anyone who opted out of the program continued to be served by Duke Energy, which cost 10.06 cents per kWh as of January.

According to Energy Alliances, the township’s energy consultant company, the current rate will end following the May billing period for this year.

The board approved an electric aggregation contract at a rate not to exceed 9.999 cents per kWh for 24 months beginning during the June billing period.

Reily Township Fiscal Officer Ronald Tilford said during the Feb. 18 meeting electricity prices are continuing to increase as a result of a lack of “capacity” due to the closure of local power plants.

He cited the 2022 closure of the William H. Zimmer Power Plant in Clermont County, over an hour from Reily Township, as an example. The W.H. Sammis Power Plant in Stratton also closed in 2023.

Duke Energy announced its plans last year to expand the existing Woodsdale Generation Station to include a commercial solar farm, according to initial reporting from the Journal-News.

Still, Tilford pointed to increased development in Southern Ohio taking up energy capacity, as well as the upcoming introduction of data centers, including one planned for Trenton, according to reporting from the Journal-News, which has raised concerns from residents.

Data center questions

In other business, Heidi McKee, representing the Reily Township Zoning Commission, said the group was discussing its ability to pass a moratorium, or temporary suspension, or other restrictions on any future data centers in the area.

McKee said the commission looked into other townships placing moratoriums on the development of data centers and is looking into whether it can legally put rules in place.

A councilman from the village of Mount Orab, east of Cincinnati, introduced a moratorium for its first reading this month on zoning for data centers and related infrastructure, according to reporting by WCPO.

McKee said during the Feb. 18 board meeting, “So the question (is), simply, is our township zoning board allowed to regulate data centers?”

“And it doesn't necessarily mean ban, just regulate,” she said, “because it might be that we want to just put massive setbacks on the systems … or it might be that we want to just decide, ‘No, we're going to ban these industrial data centers.’ But that would be something for everyone to talk about.”

McKee said since Reily Township doesn’t have any light or heavy industrial zones, there likely wouldn’t be a data center developed within the township, although zoning can be changed.

The board voted to allow a letter to be sent to the Butler County prosecuting attorney requesting information about what restrictions can be put in place by a zoning commission. McKee said the commission will gather information in March and discuss its findings in April.