Focus on Community Choice Aggregation at Village Trustees meeting

Peggy Kurtz spoke to the Village of Warwick Board of Trustees at their Oct. 3 meeting about programs she described as providing community based, clean renewable energy, intended to help communities transition to renewable energy.

Kurtz is community coordinator for Joule Community Power, who, she said, aims to make renewable energy affordable for everyone.

Community Choice Aggregation, or CCA, is a program intended to help municipalities create a buying group that allows residents and businesses to purchase electricity at competitive fixed rates.

“Some of the benefits include 100 percent renewable energy, competitive fixed rates, strong consumer protection and more choice for consumers,” said Kurtz. “Within the program collectively formed within Rockland Community Power, six communities have saved 9.5 million dollars over 22 months.”

The board had questions for Kurtz.

Trustee William Lindberg asked whether the whole community had to agree to sign up and whether that number determined the cost.

According to Kurtz, the strength of the program is that it works on a municipality level. If someone wanted to sign up as an individual, they could not, but cost does not depend on the number of people in the community who decide to sign up.

“There has been some conversation among the three villages and the town about trying to coordinate an effort to sign up together, which would then increase the number of people that would participate,” said Mayor Michael Newhard.

Trustee Carly Foster asked whether or not they would be joining an already existing aggregate or if a new one would be created. Kurtz said that a new aggregate would be formed for Warwick.

Krutz was also asked what types of renewable energy would be used. A majority of the energy would come from hydropower and wind along with solar panels.

People can opt in or out at any time, Kurtz said. Residents will still have multiple options presented to them and can figure out what works for them. Residents can go back and forth as often as they like.

If the Village decides to join the program, the contract through CCA would be between two to three years, Kurtz said. If residents don’t like the program they can go back to their original source of energy.

“I spoke to some people that were doing it and they said they saw significant savings,” said Trustee Foster.

As of now, the board will be exploring their options and speaking with other communities in the area that have joined before making a decision.

“It got us thinking and that’s really great,” said Mayor Newhard.