What is Community Choice?
Community choice aggregation (“community choice” or “CCA”) enables municipalities to join together to aggregate the buying power of residents and small businesses at large enough scale to dictate the terms of their energy contracts. By pooling local demand, municipalities can negotiate more favorable terms, decrease electricity costs, designate preferred generation sources, choose clean energy, increase consumer protection, select a default energy service company for the community, support local renewable generation, and deliver the benefits of solar, or other renewables, to entire communities.
Community Choice Electricity Supply
Our community choice electricity supply programs empower municipalities to select renewable electricity for residents and small businesses businesses at competitive rates.
More than five million customers nationwide are served by CCA supply programs in seven states: California, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, and Rhode Island. An increasing number New York municipalities are pursuing such programs to better serve their constituents and achieve local clean energy goals.
Community Choice Solar
Our community choice solar program supports local solar energy generation and provides access to guaranteed savings for eligible residents and businesses.
Benefits
CHOICE
The municipality designates its default energy offering and chooses the mix of renewable electricity options, shifting control away from the State to the local authority.
LOW RATES & BETTER TERMS
Competitive bids for energy offerings.
PRICE STABILITY
No monthly price fluctuations.
CONSUMER PROTECTION
Fully vetted contracts are held at the municipal level. Implementation plans are reviewed and approved by the NY State Department of Public Service. No termination fees.
LOCAL BENEFIT
Supports local renewable electricity generation.
How It Works
A program administrator works with participating municipalities and local organizers to identify program priorities and solicit proposals from qualified energy supply companies and community solar project developers on behalf of community residents and small businesses. A community choice program will only launch when an energy supply proposal meets the cost-saving (and other requirements) identified by the program administrator and participating communities.
- Save consumers money
- Expand the use of clean energy sources throughout the State
- Support the generation of clean energy within NY State
- Empower local decision-making
- Increase consumer protection
Learn More about Community Choice Aggregation in NY
The Public Service Commission (PSC) authorized CCA April 21, 2016. The PSC continues to regulate CCA with the support of the Department of Public Service (DPS). Information including CCA program rules can be found here on the DPS website.
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) created a toolkit to support the development of CCA. The toolkit can be found here on NYSERDA’s website.