The city of Boston, MA has launched its Community Choice Electricity program (CCE) with the aim of improving Boston’s clean energy performance. The opt-out program leverages Boston’s collective buying power to deliver greener, locally sourced, and more affordable electricity to customers. Boston’s program is expected to be the largest municipal aggregation program in New England.
Constellation NewEnergy, Inc. has been selected as the default supplier for the new program. Constellation will offer three rates for consumers: Optional Basic, Standard and Optional Green 100. The rates vary in what sources are used to supply the energy, with the Green 100 option entirely supplied by renewable resources.
The City held 11 webinars in multiple languages last month for discussions with local communities on the program’s logistics. The city expects that the benefits of the program will extend beyond contributing to a reduced carbon footprint.
“We believe that what we’re able to offer to customers is a more stable product so the price won’t change as frequently,” David Musselman, director of the Municipal Energy Unit for Boston’s Office of Environment, said. “We will be able to go back into the market at times when we expect prices will be lower for future contracts and test the market, and if the pricing is good, to sign a replacement contract.”
“Boston is already one of the most energy efficient cities in the United States,” Mayor Marty Walsh said in a press release, “and the start of the Community Choice Electricity program is an important step in helping us reach our ultimate goal of carbon neutrality by 2050.”