The Newark, Ohio city council recently approved a governmental electricity aggregation program, which calls for a question to be submitted on the November ballot by the Licking County Board of Elections.

According to the Newark Advocate, the decision by the city council follows the decision of the state legislature to implement electric deregulation, which allows specific communities to aggregate electricity loads and enter into agreements to purchase electricity.

Such deregulation also fosters competition among retail providers, often saving customers money in the long run.

The news that the Newark city council will have a question about electricity aggregation on the upcoming November 8 ballot coincides with a recent prediction from an Ohio group that says the first offshore wind project in the country could be implemented approximately seven miles off the coast of Cleveland.

Television station WKSU reports that wind energy proponents believe 1,000 megawatts of power could be produced by turbines in Lake Erie over the course of the next decade.