Community Choice Aggregation - Jun 14th, 2017

(Goode Energy). Massachusetts was the first state to have laws about municipal utility aggregation. Most other municipal aggregation laws in the US are based on the MA laws.

MA electric prices tend to be volatile, primarily because of limited pipeline capacity during the winter heating season. Arlington's CCA program seeks to reduce price volatility. CCA gives you more opportunity to purchase electricty from New England-based renewable sources.

Your electric bills will still come from Eversource. The supplier is the only thing that will change under the CCA program. Eversource still provides delivery and line maintenance.

There is no early termination fee if you choose to opt out of the CCA program.

There are several programs available. If you'd like to opt out (or opt into a program with a higher percentage of renewables), call Dynergy at 866-220-5696. Dynergy is the CCA program's electric supplier.

What if I have solar panels? That doesn't affect your choice of electric supplier.

What if I have a different electric supplier (like Dominion)? When your contract ends, your electric supplier will become Eversource (by default). After that, you can opt into the CCA program, if you wish to do so.

(Mass Energy Consumer Alliance). The renewable portfolio standards (RPS) are laws that require all suppliers to use 12% class I renewable energy. The amount of renewables increases by 1% each year.

A REC (renewable energy credit) is a record of 1 megawatt of generated electric power that was put onto the grid. When you buy renewable energy, you're actually buying these RECs, aka class I renewable energy certificates. Massachusetts RECs are a source of income for developers of new clean energy projects; they also represent carbon reductions.

Opting into the 100% renewable energy program gives you a $0.025 tax deduction per kwh used. Mass Energy will send you a tax accounting for this.

Mass Energy's website is https://www.massenergy.org/

(Sustainable Energy Advantage). There are two types of renewable energy: emitting and non-emitting. Land fill methane is an example of an emitting renewable. MA class I renewables include only non-emitting renewables. Purchasing class I RECs will allow you to claim a greenhouse gas reduction (for tax purposes).

Class I sources must be new energy producers, built after 1997. Renewable energy producers built before 1997 are Class II.

(Q&A). What if we were planning to get solar panels?

When you have solar panels, there are times when you're putting electricity on the grid, and times when you're taking it off. The utility nets this out. Under the CCA program, you'll pay Arlington rates on your net usage.

Why does the default program use an extra 5% of Class I renewables?

This was a compromise between environmental benefit and being affordable. Our program was reviewed and approved by the state. We'd have to go through another approval process to change the default from +5%. (+5% means 5% more Class I renewables than required by statute.)

How did you choose Dynergy as the supplier?

We took bids from several suppliers. Dynergy had the most competitive bid.

Dynergy has coal generation in other parts of the country. New England ISO claims that only 2% of New England electricty comes from coal.

Is there an early termination fee for opting out?

No.