Mike Bendewald, managing partner for Waco-based Texas Energy Aggregation, headquartered on Austin Avenue, said he was employed at the institute and was involved in the Central Texas project before relocating. He said Texas Energy Aggregation was founded by local businessman T.J. Ermoian to assist business and industry in finding the least expensive energy providers. It has changed its focus to serve cities, counties and school districts.

“It is our goal to help taxpayer-supported entities find low-cost, below-grid prices,” Bendewald said. “We want to continue the success Rocky Mountain has had in getting rural co-ops to purchase renewable energy. We believe this is a great opportunity for them, as well as for municipalities and universities. We are a contractor with the state and offer state-supported programs.”

He said Texas Energy Aggregation tries to make the case entities can save money by dealing directly with renewable plants producing electricity through wind and solar farms “rather than buying from the grid.” To do so successfully, cooperatives need good credit, a long-term commitment, ideally contracts for more than 10 years, and buying power, or scale, he said.

“No single entity is big enough to buy energy from a renewable plant,” Bendewald said. “They need to aggregate to get financing and to get built.”