Swampscott Community Power program increases commitment to local renewable electricity

Posted on: July 1, 2019 - 8:42am
Swampscott Community Power program

Swampscott, MA. Beginning with July 2019 electricity meter reads, as the current Swampscott Community Power electricity supply contract ends, a new 28-month contract with Direct Energy will go into effect. For most program participants, the program will include more renewable electricity from renewable energy projects in New England.  New pricing will also go into effect at that time. Program participants will be automatically enrolled into the new contract with Direct Energy and do not need to take any action.

“The Swampscott Community Power program is an increasingly strategic program for the Town,” said Sean Fitzgerald, Town Administrator. “As a coastal community with a first-hand view of the impact of climate change, we are firmly committed to moving strategically toward more sustainable energy practices. The Swampscott Community Power program allows us to offer our residents a great value while supporting some of the most environmentally responsible investments through the program, we are not only providing long-term, stable electricity pricing for Swampscott residents and businesses, but we are now also increasing the demand for renewable electricity on the New England power grid.”

Specific program changes will be as follows:

  • Standard Green, the default program offering, will continue to provide 100% renewable energy as before, but now it will include 5% additional renewable electricity from renewable energy projects in New England, over and above the 14% minimum required by State law in 2019, as well as 81% wind energy from outside of New England. The price for Standard Green will change to 11.444 cents/kWh. Most program participants are enrolled in Standard Green.
  • New England Green, an option that is available upon request, will continue to provide 100% renewable electricity as before, but now 100% of that electricity will come from renewable energy projects in New England. The New England Green price will change to 13.499 cents/kWh.
  • Basic, another option that is available upon request, does not include any additional renewable energy above the 14% minimum that is required by state law and will continue to meet that minimum standard with the new contract. The Basic price will change to 11.244 cents/kWh.

The new program prices reflect changes in the electricity market since the previous contract was signed. The program price provides a fixed price for the 28 months of the contract, where National Grid’s Basic Service price changes every 6 months for residential and commercial customers and every 3 months for industrial customers, typically the rates fall a bit in the summer months and rise in the winter months. The program goal is to provide value when compared with the average of National Grid’s changing prices; however, future National Grid prices are unknown, and savings cannot be guaranteed.

Please note that Swampscott participants will first see the new prices and the name Direct Energy under the supply services portion of their August 2019 National Grid electricity bill, which covers electricity use in July. The prices are fixed until the November 2021 meter reads. The new prices apply to all rate classes, including residential, commercial, and industrial accounts. Program prices only impact the supply services portion of participants’ National Grid electricity bills. Charges associated with delivery services are not affected.

Swampscott residents and business owners who are currently enrolled in Swampscott Community Power will be automatically enrolled under the new contract with Direct Energy. No action is required. Those who have their own supplier agreement or chose to opt out of Swampscott’s previous contract will not be automatically enrolled in the new contract, but they may be added to an enrollment waiting list by contacting the Town’s program consultants at 1- 844-483-5004 or swampscott@masspowerchoice.com.

Tax-exempt participants in Swampscott Community Power will need to submit tax exemption documentation to Direct Energy to maintain their tax-exempt status in the program. Information about where to send tax-exemption documentation is available on the FAQ page of the program website, which is masspowerchoice.com/swampscott.

The Swampscott Community Choice program is a group electricity purchasing program provided by the Town of Swampscott as a service to the community. Through the program, the Town chooses an electricity supplier for the community and determines the price for, and the amount of renewable energy in, the community’s electricity supply. The program provides a Town-vetted alternative to National Grid’s Basic Service and to other electricity supply offers in the marketplace. New electricity accounts in Swampscott are automatically enrolled in the program. The Town of Swampscott does not receive any financial compensation from the program. All program participants have the right to opt out at any time.

Since the program launched in January 2016, Swampscott Community Power participants have saved Swampscott rate payers more than $676,000 on electricity costs. Because of the program’s commitment to renewable electricity, the Town has also reduced the our collective carbon footprint by more than 32,000 tons of CO2, which is the equivalent of removing approximately 6,163 passenger vehicles from the road for one year. This is something we can all be proud about.

Additional information is available at masspowerchoice.com/swampscott. Customer support is available from the Town’s program consultants at swampscott@masspowerchoice.com or by phone at 1-844-483-5004.