By MADISON SCHOFIELD
ASHFIELD — Energy in Ashfield is about to get a little greener and a little cheaper, now that the town has signed a contract with Direct Energy to purchase electricity that is 63% renewable at a rate of $0.113 per kilowatt-hour as part of the town’s new energy aggregation program.
Residents will be automatically enrolled into the new program when the contract begins in March, unless they opt out. The town has opted for a 10-month contract to start.
At Ashfield’s 2023 Town Meeting, voters approved having the town pursue municipal energy aggregation. Under Massachusetts General Law, a municipality can negotiate and purchase electricity in bulk on behalf of its residents. After receiving voter approval, the town partnered with Colonial Power Group to negotiate with different energy providers.
The Energy Committee, with the blessing of the Selectboard, selected two plans from Direct Energy to offer to Ashfield residents. The default option will be a mix of 63% renewable energy and 37% national wind energy credits.
Alex Osterman, chair of the Energy Committee, said the state considers renewable energy to be electricity coming from wind, solar, hydropower, nuclear or trash burning.“They’re not all necessarily what I would consider green energy, but they do,” Osterman said in an update to the Selectboard in December. “This is like a great twofer — it saves people money and gets us a little bit more green.”
Osterman added that the Massachusetts electric grid is already fairly green, and the 37% wind credits will help green the grid elsewhere.
During a Selectboard update on Dec. 30, Town Administrator Paul McLatchy III said the final quotes from Direct Energy came out to be slightly cheaper than Eversource, which is offering a rate of $0.117 per kilowatt-hour. The Energy Committee estimates the option will decrease the average household electric bill by $4 compared to Eversource’s current price.
Through the aggregation program, the town will also offer a fully green energy option, with electricity coming 100% from renewable sources, at a rate of $0.146 per kilowatt-hour. The rate is more expensive than Eversource, but gives residents the option to get their electricity from fully renewable sources if they so choose, Osterman said.
McLatchy said information will be sent out to residents about the prices, as well as how to opt out of the aggregation program if they’d prefer. Residents can opt out of the program at any point and keep their own energy provider. Colonial Power Group will mail information to residents.
Reach Madison Schofield at 413-930-4579 or mschofield@recorder.com.