Four municipalities in Monroe County, N.Y., recently announced plans to collaborate on the joint procurement of energy on behalf of their respective communities. Notably, according to the municipalities, this agreement paves the way for a 100% renewable default energy product for residential and small-business utility customers.
The towns of Brighton, Pittsford and Irondequoit, as well as the Village of Pittsford, will execute a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to allow for the joint selection of a third-party administrator to secure a 100% renewable energy product. Should the towns and village move forward, residents would remain RG&E customers – the major change being the source of energy supply provided by the utility.
This initiative is made possible through the community choice aggregation (CCA) program, authorized by the New York State Public Service Commission. CCA allows participating local governments to procure an energy supply on behalf of utility customers, often at a lower cost. Under the state program, any resident wishing to opt out of the CCA program may do so at any time and continue to receive the default utility supply.
This new partnership encompasses potentially more than 50,000 utility customers.
“As we look to procure a cleaner energy future, local governments have been provided with an opportunity to affect real change on the type of energy we use,” says Irondequoit’s town supervisor, Dave Seeley. “The Town of Irondequoit is happy to participate with our neighboring municipalities, and I am hopeful our collective effort will ultimately produce a less expensive product that is 100 percent clean.”
According to the municipalities, there is a successful CCA demonstration program in Westchester County, paving the way for a statewide initiative. Since its launch in 2016, Westchester Power – the first CCA program in New York – has saved ratepayers nearly $10 million, with most municipalities choosing a 100% green supply.
