By SAM FERLAND Staff Writer
WESTHAMPTON — Westhampton residents will be given more flexibility choosing their electricity supplier starting next month, after the Select Board recently approved the town’s municipal aggregation plan. The town is joining more than 198 municipalities across the state that have adopted such energy plans.
Electricity consumers will be automatically enrolled in the program, which will have a rate that saves them between $1.20 to $1.80 monthly on their electric bill for the next two and a half years. The program aims to offer more renewable energy options to homes, businesses, and municipal buildings at competitive and stable prices.
While the amount is minimal, this gives residents a safe rate that would not decrease, but could increase depending on competitive suppliers selected and market trends, according to Westhampton Town Coordinator Douglas Finn.
“We have a difference in rates that is very minimal right now so it’s not going to help that much at the start, but what we’re doing is locking in a good rate for a period of up to 30 months,” said Finn. “Residents will be able to count on a flat electric generation rate — regardless if the market goes up or down, that rate will stay steady and constant. It becomes more of a reliable rate, predictable and easier to budget … It’s not a lot because the Eversource rate right now is pretty favorable.”
Through municipal aggregation, all eligible electricity consumers, including homes and businesses in town will be automatically enrolled in the program with a choice to opt out, in which case they will continue to receive basic service from Eversource Energy.
Projected for the end of August, letters will be sent from the town providing information and steps to opt out if desired.
The state Department of Public Utilities (DPU) approved the town’s plans for municipal aggregation last year. The program allows municipalities to purchase electricity in bulk from competitive suppliers on behalf of the residents and businesses within the community. Municipal aggregation was first established in 1997 following the passage of the Electric Industry Restructuring Act.
The town will work with Colonial Power Group Inc. of Marlborough to monitor the electricity market and solicit bids from various competitive suppliers. The program will only affect the supply portion of resident’s monthly bill.
“They’d would be locking in on energy futures no matter what the market does,” said Colonial Power Group Inc. President Mark Cappadona. “This gives residents a safer option, no matter what rate they choose, they will always have the base energy rate.”
Over the past few years, municipal aggregation gained interest from the public who voiced their support to have this program in Westhampton. Towns in the area that have had a municipal aggregation plan approved include Easthampton, Northampton, Amherst, Williamsburg, Hadley and more.
“The municipal aggregation process enables cities and towns to advance our clean energy and climate goals in ways that keep consumer costs fair and stable,” said Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell, in a statement in 2024.
As of July 2024, 199 municipal aggregation plans were approved by the DPU for municipalities across the state. As of January 2024, there are over 1.27 million customers enrolled in a municipal aggregation program in Massachusetts.
Sam Ferland can be reached at sferland@gazettenet.com