Rising energy prices aren’t unique to Warren County.

The question is — “what to do about them?”

For the City of Warren, the answer is “hope for better prices in the spring.”

The council entered into a six-month contract for electric service for all city accounts, which includes the obvious — city building, parks — and the not so obvious — street lights.

“Due to current market volatility, staff will then plan to negotiate for a new rate in the spring of 2023,” Acting City Manager Mike Holtz said. “It is projected that the rates will be lower in the spring of 2023.”

The council had entertained a three-year proposal at a prior meeting but at a rate that would have brought the city a $100,000 total increase in electric costs for 2023.

“We had a phone call with the suppliers a couple weeks ago to kind of get things straightened out,” Holtz said. “We feel better now (that) this option is the best option.”

Holtz said that the electric brokers that “rates are hopefully coming down” as we move into 2023.

“I do think long-term it is in the city’s best interest of getting off the cycle of buying energy in the middle of winter,” Mayor Dave Wortman said, citing the “cyclical nature of energy markets.

“Typically spring-time renegotiation is a better time than at the peak of winter demand season,” he said. “If anything, a shorter term on this contract would get us as the city out of a renegotiation cycle (in the winter).”