Community Energy for Con Edison-Area Municipalities

In 2016, after several years of development and hundreds of community meetings, Westchester communities launched the first Community Choice Aggregation energy program in NY and today, continue to lead the transition to clean, renewable energy.

Participating Municipalties

Ardsley, Bedford, Croton-on-Hudson, Dobbs Ferry, Greenburgh, Hastings-on-Hudson, Irvington, Larchmont, Mamaroneck Town, Mamaroneck Village, Mount Kisco, New Castle, New Rochelle, Ossining Town, Ossining Village, Pelham, Peekskill, Pleasantville, Rye Brook, Rye City, Sleepy Hollow, Tarrytown, Tuckahoe, White Plains

Scroll down for more information about the program, rates, contact information, how to
know whether you’re in the program, program outreach and education and more

Current contract for Con Edison area (other than Yonkers) participants

Constellation New Energy is the supplier for this contract, which is in effect
from the first meter reads in November of 2022 to first meter reads of November 2024

100% Renewable Supply

NY State sourced
Primarily hydropower
Residential: 15.128¢/kWh
Small Commercial: 15.128¢/kWh

Standard Supply

Grid mix similar to utility
Majority fossil fueled
Residential: 13.364¢/kWh
Small Commercial: 13.364¢/kWh

Westchester Power Basics

COLLECTIVE POWER – the community-selected default electricity supply option for 29 participating municipalities.

[ConEdison remains responsible for Distribution – the infrastructure and billing]

100% RENEWABLE ENERGY made easily accessible, vetted, at scale; Standard supply also available.

OPT-OUT FORMAT – eligible customers are enrolled in the default supply unless they take action to opt out or change supply.

CONSUMER-FRIENDLY structure allows you to participate with no contracts, fees, or penalties for coming or going.

RATE STABILITY – stable and predictable pricing vs the monthly variability of the utility supply.

Savings are not guaranteed through this program, as we cannot predict what the utility will charge month-to-month.

For more information the Dept. of Public Service has prepared this FAQ: faq-template_v2.pdf

Contacts and resources:

How to read your bill

When your electricity supply is from an Energy Service Company (ESCO) such as is the case with participation in Westchester Power, the supply charge is separated from the Con Edison distribution charge, where before they were combined. Click here for Con Edison explanation of other charges.

Get Notified when GridRewards is available for NYSEG Customers

Are you excited about GridRewards and have NYSEG as your utility? With the upcoming upgrade to smart meters for NYSEG Customers later this fall 2023, you’ll be able to participate in a demand response program.

NYSEG customers looking to be notified when GridRewards is available in your area, please fill out the form. When the Demand Response program is enabled in your utility territory, Sustainable Westchester will email you the GridRewards enrollment instructions.

GET NOTIFIED

Refer A Friend
Give $10, get $10

Have your friends, neighbors and contacts use your referral code when they create an account. When they save electricity during GridRewards events, they will earn $10 and so will you. Everyone wins, including the planet!

There’s no limit to how many friends you can invite. Groups looking to use GridRewards referral fee as a fundraiser for their local group, please contact Lauren@SustainableWestchester.org or materials and assistance.

See Terms Here

The Impact

In 2022, users in the Sustainable Westchester program had a combined load reduction of 7MW, this is up from an estimated 3.5-4MW in 2021. The 7MW of energy saved by participants in Westchester would be enough to instantaneously power 25,000 homes!

Plus donations will be made to five environmental groups, including Sustainable Westchester!
In 2021, the GridRewards community prevented more than 200 tons of carbon from entering the atmosphere.

Information for Building Owners, Property Managers and Homeowners Associations

GridRewards App Can Pay Your Business for Lower Energy Usage

Are you a business, nonprofit, campus or house of worship paying a ConEdison utility bill? We have valuable information to share on how to combat record high energy bills in your building. Logical Buildings’s GridRewards, a cutting-edge climate tech product that pays residents/tenants/building operators for reducing energy usage and cutting carbon emissions, can help you reduce emissions. Explore the benefits of using the free GridRewards app to manage your organization’s daily energy use, including cash rewards and lower monthly utility bills.

Commercial and multifamily properties paying a ConEd bill can participate, as well as municipalities with NYPA power. On average, buildings use 10% less energy and carbon to lower utility costs by approximately 15% with GridRewards.

For a consultation or assistance signing up your commercial property please email Lauren@SustainableWestchester.org

Houses of Worship and Community Groups can Green their Building’s Energy Usage + Fundraise!

Sustainable Westchester’s GridRewards is a useful tool for Houses of Worship, nonprofits and community groups to both reduce their impact on the environment and to encourage their congregants to get involved in an easy energy action!

GridRewards is a demand response program. It helps to alleviate stress on the energy grid during a handful of times in the summer when the energy grid is at peak demand (and most polluting). Houses of Worship can sign up their buildings or campuses to participate and earn cash by reducing energy at key times. GridRewards will notify you when these events occur. The more participation, the more money that can be earned.

On top of enrolling your buildings in GridRewards, the organization could also promote GridRewards to their congregation as a fundraiser, using the referral code. For each utility account you sign up, the organization would earn $10.

A few religious institutions have been advertising the program and linked here is a sample flyer. We are happy to help get your organization started with GridRewards as this is a true win-win-win for all! Please reach out to Lauren@SustainableWestchester.org for more info!

Rivertowns Mayors Challenge

Rivertown Mayors from Hastings to Sleepy Hollow engage in friendly competition; encouraging residents to sign up for Sustainable Westchester’s GridRewards to illustrate the importance of synchronicity when it comes to energy reduction. Challenge takes place now through April 28, 2023.

Click here to see the municipal standings in the competition

The Harms of Peaker Power Plants

“On days with extreme weather, like heat waves or sub-zero temperatures, residents consume more energy to stay cool and warm, which puts excessive demand on the grid. In response to this increased demand in electricity, highly polluting power plants known as “peakers” fire up in the South Bronx, Sunset Park, and other communities of color throughout New York City. These inefficient peakers spew harmful emissions into neighborhoods already overburdened by pollution, exacerbating widespread health problems. Peaker plants are a prime example of how low-income communities and communities of color bear the brunt of a host of energy and industrial infrastructure that poses significant public health and environmental hazards.”

The PEAK coalition—UPROSE, THE POINT CDC, New York City Environmental Justice Alliance (NYC-EJA), New York Lawyers for the Public Interest (NYLPI), and Clean Energy Group (CEG)— has come together to end the long-standing pollution burden from power plants on the city’s most climate-vulnerable people. This coalition is the first comprehensive effort in the US to reduce the negative and racially disproportionate health impacts of a city’s peaker plants by replacing them with renewable energy and storage solutions.

See resources from the Peak Coalition: