Cleveland leaders are gearing up for what could be a once-in-a-generation overhaul of Cleveland Public Power, the city-owned electric utility that has struggled with frequent outages and aging equipment. The Bibb administration and City Council members are talking about a sweeping “transformation plan” that could rewire how the system works in neighborhoods across the city, with a price tag expected to run into the tens of millions.
Mayor Justin Bibb previewed the effort at a recent public meeting after a resident complained about recurring blackouts. “This is going to take some time to do, but it’s high on my list,” he told the crowd. As reported by Signal Cleveland, the forthcoming plan is expected to map out how to modernize the city-owned grid. Councilman Brian Kazy, who chairs Council’s Utilities Committee, said the work will build on a previous system assessment and could cost roughly $70 million to $100 million to repair transformers, substations, poles, and facilities.
About Cleveland Public Power
Cleveland Public Power, once known as Muny Light, serves tens of thousands of homes and businesses inside the city limits as a municipally owned electric utility. The utility’s official website posts outage maps, customer programs and a service-area map that shows CPP’s coverage spanning most neighborhoods while stopping short of much of West Park, according to Cleveland Public Power. City officials and CPP leaders often cite local control and the utility’s long municipal history as key reasons to keep it publicly owned.
What the 2020 consultants found
A 2020 consultant briefing delivered a harsh verdict on CPP’s transmission and distribution network, labeling it “unacceptable, unsafe, and an outlier compared to other similarly sized utilities.” The findings kicked off a string of City Council hearings and extended scrutiny of day-to-day operations and power-purchase contracts. Those conclusions are still being used as Exhibit A for why the utility’s infrastructure needs a major refresh, according to WOSU.
Price tag and political choices
Kazy’s rough estimate of $70 million to $100 million is meant to cover a full system rehab, from transformers and substations to facilities and pole replacements. The mayor’s office says the new transformation plan will build on an infrastructure assessment completed about two years ago, with more specifics expected soon. Turning that broad roadmap into signed contracts and crews in the field will be a political stress test for City Hall, which will have to decide how much to lean on borrowing, grants or potential rate changes, as reported by Signal Cleveland.
How the city might pay for it
City officials have several financial levers to pull: federal infrastructure grants, targeted shifts in the city budget, long-term borrowing, and gradual rate adjustments. Earlier internal assessments recommended about $18 million to $20 million per year in capital spending to stabilize the system, an investment that observers say could significantly cut down on outages over time. Mayor Bibb’s Rescue & Transformation Plan directs staff to pursue federal funding streams such as ARPA and IIJA, according to the City of Cleveland. Those dollars are expected to help modernize back-office systems and support capital upgrades, according to reporting by Cleveland Magazine.
Residents and advocates warn about bills
Neighborhood groups and energy advocates are already sounding alarms about how much of the overhaul might land on customers’ monthly bills. The coalition Our CPP responded to recent rate proposals with a public statement outlining how different scenarios could affect household costs, according to Our CPP. CPP’s own website lists bill-assistance programs and payment help options for customers in financial hardship, according to Cleveland Public Power. Advocates are pressing City Hall to match reliability upgrades with protections such as expanded assistance, phased-in billing changes, and clearer timelines for construction work, according to Our CPP.
What to watch next
Residents can expect a formal transformation plan and project timeline to surface in the coming weeks, followed by public debate in Council’s Utilities Committee and Operations Committee. Meeting notices and proposed legislation are posted in the city’s Legistar system, according to Legistar, and the Utilities Committee page on the council website tracks upcoming hearings, according to the Cleveland City Council Utilities Committee.
