Chelsea Electricity Choice

Why Chelsea Electricity Choice?

Chelsea Electricity Choice will include the option to get all of your electricity from clean, renewable sources in New England. By choosing this option, you will make a significant contribution to sustainability and to the local economy. You will help to:

  • Reduce Chelsea’s greenhouse gas emissions by ensuring that all of the electricity you buy comes from clean sources 
  • Encourage the development of new renewable energy projects in New England by creating more demand for the electricity generated by those projects 
  • Support local businesses and local jobs by buying all of your electricity from New England-based projects.

The Program Implementation Process

Implementing a program like Chelsea Electricity Choice is a regulated process that is overseen by the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (DPU). The state regulatory review process can take as long as a year to complete.

  • The Chelsea City Council voted to pursue aggregation on 10/24/19.
  • Chelsea will submit its aggregation plan to the State to begin the regulatory review process in late 2020. 
  • While Chelsea’s aggregation plan is being reviewed, the City will begin outreach about the program to the community. 
  • Once the State approves the aggregation plan, the City will issue an RFP for, select, and sign a contract with an electricity supplier. 
  • After the electricity supply contract is signed, the City will conduct a public education campaign to inform the community about program details. 
  • At the conclusion of that public education campaign, the program will launch.
Learn more about Chelsea Electricity Choice at ChelseaElectricityChoice.com

What kind of program is Chelsea Electricity Choice?

Chelsea Electricity Choice is a form of group electricity purchasing known as electricity aggregation. Through Chelsea Electricity Choice, the City will provide Chelsea residents and businesses with an alternative to other electricity supply offers in the marketplace, but without high pressure or fees. 

Chelsea Electricity Choice will not replace Eversource as your electric utility. But it will change the price that Eversource uses to calculate the supply portion of your electricity bill. 

In addition, the program will provide access to cleaner electricity, long-term pricing, and consumer protections*. 

* Chelsea Electricity Choice may also provide savings when compared with Eversource’s prices, but savings cannot be guaranteed. The reason is because Chelsea’s price will be a long-term price, while Eversource’s prices change, and their future prices are not known.

New Electricity Choices

The Chelsea Electricity Choice program will provide three new electricity choices that will give you greater control over the price of your electricity and how much of your electricity comes from clean, renewable sources. 

Renewable energy comes from sources like the sun and the wind, which are unlimited. Using electricity from renewable sources is better for our health and for the environment. Energy generated from renewable sources does not cause air pollution, and it does not generate the gasses that cause climate change. 

As a program participant, you will automatically receive a standard amount of clean, renewable electricity, which will be more than the minimum amount required by state law. (That standard amount is still to be determined.) 

Or you can choose from among two other options, including the following:

  • Opt up to 100% clean, renewable electricity. 
  • Opt down to receive no additional renewable energy in your electricity above minimum amount required by state law, but retain the program benefits of long-term price stability and consumer protections.
All choices will provide renewable electricity from renewable energy projects in New England.

Participating in the Program

All Eversource Basic Service customers (Eversource customers who have not signed a contract with an electricity supplier) will be automatically enrolled in Chelsea Electricity Choice, unless they choose not to participate.

The automatic enrollment model is the state law, but participation is not required. You may opt out of the program before being enrolled and any time after enrollment with no penalty.

If you have a contract with an electricity supplier at program launch, you will not be automatically enrolled, but you may choose to enroll. 

As a program participant, you will remain an Eversource customer.

  • Eversource will continue to deliver your electricity, and you will continue to call Eversource if your power goes out.
  • You will still receive your bill from and pay Eversource. This is the only electricity bill you will receive as a participant in this program. The program price will be used to calculate the Supply portion of your Eversource bill.
  • If you are eligible for a low-income rate, you will continue to receive that benefit.
  • If you have solar panels, your net metering credits will still be calculated base.
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