SIMPLE ECONOMICS:

Massachusetts cities and towns are using an innovative state program to lower residents' utility bills while aggressively driving demand for clean power in the state, according to a new analysis. [...]

Once seen primarily as a means to slash utility costs, aggregation is increasingly viewed as a way to promote clean energy. In Boston, for instance, which purchases its power from Constellation Energy, the standard plan is 10 percentage points cleaner than Eversource's basic plan. Still, through the first half of 2022, it saved users an average of $27.62 monthly, and from July through December, it's expected to save those customers an average of $40.26 monthly.

Massachusetts requires that clean energy be part of all electricity supplied to consumers. Under the state's renewable portfolio standard, that includes locally produced solar, wind, and some controversial sources like landfill gas. This year, the minimum is 20 percent.

Eversource and National Grid, which each serve more than 1 million customers statewide, purchase energy at that minimum requirement. But many aggregations are working with suppliers who guarantee an even cleaner mix, a model the Alliance calls "green municipal aggregation."

In Massachusetts, all aggregations are opt-out, meaning if your town has one, you're automatically enrolled into its standard package, but can choose to use the local utility or a competitive provider instead.

Municipalities control how much clean power their standard plans offer, and most choose to just meet the state's minimum. But the authors found that, currently, more than 50 municipalities' standard plans are offering higher amounts of renewable power. Half of those offer at least 10 percentage points more clean energy than the required minimum; some have wildly exceeded the state's requirement. Newton's standard energy package is the cleanest in the state, with an 82 percent renewable mix, and Lowell and Brookline, with 65 and 50 percent, respectively, are next in line.

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