Washington, D.C. — A new episode of the CitiesSpeak podcast from the National League of Cities (NLC) features Mayor Steve Patterson, Athens, Ohio, and Immediate Past President of the National League of Cities, in conversation with Carolyn Berndt, Legislative Director for Sustainability at NLC. The episode explores how community choice aggregation programs can help residents access clean energy while lowering monthly electric bills.
During the episode, Patterson reflects on Athens’ leadership in launching a community choice aggregation program, offering perspective on how local leaders can leverage collective buying power to reduce costs and expand access to renewable energy. The conversation highlights affordability, clean energy innovation and regional collaboration.
Highlights from the Conversation
On how community choice aggregation works:
“It’s like buying energy… on kind of a Costco scale.” — Mayor Steve Patterson
On delivering both savings and sustainability:
“So, there can be certainly a financial savings to customers within a CCA, but then there also can be an environmental payback if you have something like we do with a green product.” — Mayor Steve Patterson
On the broader impact for cities:
“We are financially responsible and good stewards of the city taxpayers’ money… and CCAs [community choice aggregation] really help with that.” — Mayor Steve Patterson
The CitiesSpeak podcast features conversations with leaders and policy experts on the biggest issues facing America’s cities, towns and villages.
Listen to the full conversation, also available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube.
About CitiesSpeak
Each episode of NLC’s podcast, CitiesSpeak with Clarence Anthony, dives into a critical issue facing local leaders today, featuring conversations with elected leaders and policy experts from across the country. The podcast is a relaxed and entertaining resource for local policymakers looking for ideas and information to bring back to their communities. The podcast is hosted by NLC CEO and Executive Director Clarence Anthony, who previously served as mayor of South Bay, Florida, for more than two decades.
New, episodes of CitiesSpeak are available on all major podcasting platforms and on YouTube. If you have feedback for the show or ideas for future guests, email us at citiesspeakpodcast@nlc.org. Happy listening!
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