LEAN's Peer-to-Peer Webinar
City of Athens in Ohio, National League of Cities, and ICMA
August 28th, 2025
CLICK ON THE IMAGE BELOW TO WATCH THE RECORDING
Date: August 28, 2025
Time: 10am PT/1pm ET
Speakers:
Steve Patterson
Mayor of the City of Athens, OH
President of the National League of Cities (NLC)
Sarah Yeager
Senior Program Manager with the International City/County Management Association (ICMA)’s Clean Energy and Sustainability Team
LEAN Energy US has partnered with the City of Athens in Ohio, the National League of Cities (NLC), and the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) to offer an in‑depth case study on the city’s long-standing Community Choice Aggregation program.
This session was an opportunity to also learn about the NLC's efforts to strengthen local leadership, influence federal policy, and drive innovative solutions. The ICMA gave a presentation on the DOE's SolSmart program for local governments.
Our webinar featured:
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Program design and governance: Learn how Athens structured its CCA through SOPEC, including fixed 100% renewables pricing and citywide carbon fee mechanisms since 2014.
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Local impact: Explore the city's strategy in delivering community benefits such as increased green power adoption, public solar funding, and resilience.
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Lessons for communities across the U.S.: What worked and what hasn’t, for replication in other jurisdictions.
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The Department of Energy's SolSmart program: Free national recognition and technical assistance program for local governments that seek to drive greater solar deployment.
