A nonprofit energy aggregator that supplies natural gas to more than 250,000 customers in Northeast Ohio has signed a six-year contract to purchase gas produced from the Marcellus and Utica shales.

The Northeast Ohio Public Energy Council (NOPEC) signed an agreement with NextEra Energy Services Ohio LLC (NESO), a division of Juno Beach, FL-based NextEra Energy Resources LLC. The agreement begins in March 2014.

“We’ve all heard and read about Ohio’s extensive shale gas deposits, but this agreement allows Northeast Ohioans to capitalize on this great local resource,” said NOPEC Chairman Joe Migliorini. “[We expect] to purchase a large amount of Ohio natural gas at a significant savings, which will be contractually passed along to our customers.”

NOPEC said it estimates the agreement with NESO will save an estimated 50-60 cents/Mcf due to lower transportation costs. Savings could reach $1.00/Mcf if a larger percentage of gas produced in Ohio is used.

“At this time, it is not possible to project exact savings as gas prices fluctuate constantly,” NOPEC said. “There will certainly be significant cost advantages by buying local gas. The new agreement could see up to $25 million in savings annually for NOPEC’s customers, which could total up to $150 million over the term of the agreement.”

NESO will replace Pittsburgh-based Dominion Energy Solutions (DES) as NOPEC’s endorsed supplier of natural gas. Meanwhile, Dominion East Ohio (DEO) and Columbia Gas of Ohio will continue to distribute gas within their respective service areas. DES is an affiliate of DEO, but they are not the same company.