The Westchester Power Community Energy Program (Electricity Supply) Resumes in the Con Edison Utility Territory this Fall 2022

We are pleased to announce that this state-model program for renewable energy is positioned to further its carbon reduction impact in the coming months. 

As you know, the program was on a brief pause due to the unprecedented conditions in the energy market, over the last year, that have manifested in energy price increases that the program has never experienced since its inception 6 years ago. These increases have been due to a variety of factors and can be attributed in great part to a mixture of supply constraints caused by greatly increased exports of the key fuel for electricity generation – natural gas, geopolitical conflicts and extreme weather events and domestic temperatures. As a result, market prices have moved dramatically and continuously upwards for many months, hampering our ability to execute a supply contract up until this point.

These factors have not only affected prices for the near term, but elevated electricity rates look to be a longer-term reality. Sustainable Westchester continues to work on developing structures and procurement strategies to meet the challenge of this new reality in support of Westchester consumers. 

This change DOES NOT APPLY to Yonkers residents. For the list of participating Con Edison municipalities click here. [INSERT LINK]

New Rate Structure. What To Expect Next?

While our new rates are significantly higher than what has been offered through Westchester Power in the past, they are reflective of the current volatile energy market. The new rates compare very favorably against renewable energy market offerings and offer cost-effective access to clean energy in a consumer-friendly format.  

100% RENEWABLE SUPPLY
The entire electricity supply is matched by New York State qualified hydropower Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs)
RATE: 15.128 ¢/kWh

STANDARD SUPPLY
The electricity supply is a mixture of fossil fuels, nuclear, and some renewable energy
RATE: 13.364 ¢/kWh

Commitment To Clean Energy

Since 2016, the Westchester Power Community Energy program has helped municipalities in Westchester County leverage the collective power of its residents to control costs and provide insurance against fluctuations in electricity supply through competitively priced and fixed-rate bulk purchasing, while also leading the transition to renewable energy in the state through Westchester Power’s 100% Renewable energy as the primary product subscription of most participants.

In 6 years of operation, Westchester residents and businesses have mitigated the emission of about 1,100,000 metric tons of CO2 through their decision to support renewable energy via Westchester Power. This is equivalent to taking roughly 293,000 cars off the road for one year.

Westchester Power Electricity Supply Service Basics

• Westchester Power is a program that allows local governments to procure electricity, gas, and other services on behalf of their residents and small businesses
• This is only an electricity SUPPLY offering. Participants are still customers of their utility company who continue to be responsible for energy distribution, infrastructure maintenance, and billing of customers
• Westchester Power hosts auctions among qualified Energy Service Companies (ESCOs) and awards supply contracts through this competitive bidding process
• Enrollment is on an “opt-out” basis- you receive a notification letter with all the program details, and are enrolled unless you say you do not want to be. Participants can exit (or change supply option https://sustainablewestchester.org/wp/energy-choices/) at any time with no fee

A Community
Energy Platform

The large scale of the program enables us to attract new opportunities for increased environmental impact and potential savings. These include:

Westchester Power Solar Credit offering – Sustainable Westchester is preparing to launch an exciting, new Solar Credit offering within the Westchester Power program in late 2022. The Solar Credit offering provides guaranteed savings to participating households and small businesses. The offering will prioritize the delivery of the Solar Credit savings to those enrolled in the existing utility’s low-income assistance program.

Let’s Talk About Clean Energy

Why clean energy? By now, everyone has heard of climate change, but it’s not always easy to make the connection to our daily lives. Our energy choices are, however, linked to many of the most serious challenges that we face these days, as well as the question of what kind of future we leave our children.

Most of our electricity is still generated by burning fossil fuels which release greenhouse gases into our atmosphere. This has contributed to our environment’s degradation, increasing temperatures, and local effects such as more frequent higher intensity storms and changes in seasonal patterns. Here’s a short video about the greenhouse effect which is responsible for this problem.

Our energy choices and COVID 19

Studies are showing that areas with higher levels of pollution see worse outcomes from COVID 19. Many observers have pointed out the similarities in the challenges since both require collective, long-term action to solve.

Sea Level Rise

Over the past century, the Hudson has risen about a foot due to global warming (see this Scenic Hudson article), threatening households and habitats. This map shows how the Yonkers waterfront may fare over this century. We can reduce the impact and costs by taking strong action to reverse the growth of greenhouse gases.