In 2008, member communities of the Public Alliance for Community Energy (ACE) are celebrating the organization’s 10th anniversary of benefiting natural gas consumers.
Several ACE member communities are planning receptions and open houses during the year as part of the milestone. ACE is the only community-owned natural gas supplier in the Choice Gas program and the only supplier that has been in the Choice Gas program since its start.
More than 50 Nebraska communities formed ACE in 1998 with two goals: to introduce competition in the Choice Gas program so consumers can get the lowest possible natural gas price and to keep more money in Nebraska.
Since its start, ACE consistently has held natural gas prices lower for customers through competition during the Choice Gas selection period held each year in April. It also has returned more than $700,000 in revenue distributions back to its member communities.
“ACE formed because communities wanted more control of their natural gas prices,” said ACE Board Chairman Paul Markowski of Ord, Neb. “Competition benefits all customers with lower natural gas prices.”
ACE member communities educate their residents on the benefits of having a community-owned, not-for-profit supplier providing competition in the Choice Gas program. That grass roots effort allowed ACE to grow from serving approximately 15,000 in its first year to more than 28,000 customers currently.
Throughout the past 10 years, ACE also served as an advocate for all Choice Gas participants by protecting the rights of consumers through rate challenges and interventions as well as educating member communities and their customers on distribution costs that appear on natural gas bills.
In 2006, ACE upgraded its call center, combining automated order entry with live customer service representatives for reliable, personal and efficient customer service. Last year, ACE’s Web site had more than 85,000 hits during the two-week Choice Gas selection period and the call center fielded more than 25,000 calls.
“ACE has been good for all Choice Gas customers,” said Markowski. “It shows what we can do at the grass roots level when we work together for a common goal: keeping natural gas prices as low as possible for everyone.”