HARVARD, MA – The Town of Harvard, with the assistance of Colonial Power Group, Inc., is pleased to announce it has entered into a 36-month agreement with Dynegy Energy Services to bring energy cost-savings to the town’s residents through this initiative. The Town will be using 100 percent green energy, derived from National Wind renewable energy certificates.
Harvard ratepayers collectively will be able to save more than $259,000 during the term of the contract due to the newly created Harvard Community Choice Power Supply program.
“This program will allow residents and small business owners to gain the benefit of lower energy costs through the power of bulk purchasing,” said Harvard Town Administrator Timothy Bragan. “Our goals included price stability, increased use of renewable energy, and lower overall cost. With the implementation of this energy program, I am pleased to say we were able to achieve those goals for our community.”
The Harvard Community Choice Power Supply Program is a municipal aggregation program which, in accordance with Massachusetts law (M.G.L. c. 164, § 134), enables local government to combine the purchasing power of its residents and businesses so that it can provide them with an alternative electricity supply.
“The Harvard Community Choice program provides local control and competition while also lowering the burden of energy costs for Harvard’s residents and business community,” said Mark Cappadona, President of Colonial Power Group, Inc. “We commend Harvard’s Select Board, Energy Advisory Committee and Town Administrator Timothy Bragan for their forward-thinking approach to energy purchasing. By taking this action, not only are they helping to save ratepayers money on their electricity costs, they are also helping the environment.”
Participating residents and businesses in Harvard will see an average savings of 24 percent in their monthly energy bills during the 2019-2020 winter and an average savings of five percent over the term of the contract. The program will provide a combined average savings of more than $7,200 per month for the town’s residential and businesses ratepayers during the contract term. Additionally, should ratepayers choose to do so, they may opt in to an offering that meets the Massachusetts-mandated requirements for renewable energy but does not utilize 100 percent renewable energy.
The cost savings provided by the Harvard Community Choice Power Supply Program for residents and businesses will begin with the November 2019 meter reads (December 2019 billings). Basic Service rates change twice a year or more, depending on rate class. As a result, the aggregation rate may not always be lower than the Basic Service rate. The goal of the aggregation is to deliver savings over the life of the Program against National Grid Basic Service. However, such savings and future savings cannot be guaranteed.
Residential and businesses ratepayers will not notice any change in their electricity service. The only discernible difference will be that Dynegy Energy Services of Dallas, Texas, the selected electricity supplier for the Community Choice program, will be printed under “Supplier Services” on National Grid’s monthly bills. They will continue to receive one bill from National Grid and to send payments to National Grid for processing. There will be no interruption in billing, power, or customer service. If residents and businesses have solar panels or are members of Harvard Solar Garden (HSG) they will continue to receive those net metering credits.
Colonial Power Group is the leading aggregation consulting firm in Massachusetts. Municipal electricity aggregation allows cities and towns to pool the electrical consumption of all ratepayers in their jurisdictions and competitively procure lower cost electricity supply on behalf of the participants. The aggregation allows the municipality to obtain better pricing than individual residents and business owners could due to economies of scale. Colonial Power works with state officials, utility executives, and energy industry leaders to facilitate the purchase of electricity at a rate lower than Basic Service rates. Since July 2013, Colonial Power has saved households and businesses across Massachusetts a total of over $25 million on their electric bills.
Colonial Power Group, which serves more than 60 municipalities in Massachusetts, was chosen to design, implement, and administer the program on behalf of Harvard. Dynegy Energy Services was selected through a competitive process.
No action is required by ratepayers currently on National Grid’s Basic Service to participate in this cost-saving program. The program will be operated on an opt-out basis, meaning that all Harvard residential and business customers currently on National Grid’s Basic Service will be automatically enrolled into the 100 percent renewable energy program unless they choose to opt out. You may opt out of the program at any time and there are no penalty charges.
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