Madison Township government leaders will be looking for ways to use a 2026 NOPEC Energized Community Grant. Township trustees, during a recent meeting, approved a resolution to accept the $27,931 grant from NOPEC, which is formally known as the Northeast Ohio Public Energy Council. The organization provides Energized Community Grants to help its member communities implement energy savings or energy infrastructure measures. Eligible projects include LED lighting or signs, insulation, electrical upgrades, plug-in electric vehicles and traffic signal upgrades. Madison Township receives this type of grant annually from NOPEC, and the amount always is around $27,000, said Paul Cook, the community’s administrator. Trustee Board Chairman Peter Wayman said the township has done a lot with these allocations over the years. Examples of projects funded either partially or in full by NOPEC Energized Community Grants have included: • 2025: New windows for the administration building, located at 2065 Hubbard Road. • 2024: Re-siding and insulating the township Service Department Garage, 1747 Hubbard Road. • 2023: New wiring, electrical outlets and lighting that were part of an endeavor that transformed the old chapel at Stanton Park, 5585 Chapel Road, into an outdoor pavilion for picnics and other gatherings. • 2022: Rewiring the administration building and outfitting the structure with a new electric generator. Cook said on Jan. 29 that Madison Township hadn’t yet decided on a specific project that could be funded by the 2026 NOPEC grant. NOPEC offers energy aggregation programs for communities throughout Ohio. The organization uses the principle of buying in bulk in an attempt to get lower rates on electricity and natural gas for its members. Madison Township has been a NOPEC electric and gas community since 2000. ...read more read less