Community Choice Energy: greening our electricity collectively

By Eric Smalley

We have a unique opportunity to lower Boston’s carbon footprint and there are steps you can take to make it happen. First, some explanation.

With a stroke of the mayor’s pen and at no added cost, Boston can increase the amount of renewably generated electricity that residents and businesses consume. At current energy prices, the boost in renewables through this Community Choice Energy initiative would be enough to jump us nearly 8% of the way toward the city’s 2020 goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 25% from 2005 levels.

Community Choice Energy takes advantage of a Massachusetts law that allows cities and towns to buy electricity for themselves rather than relying on the utility companies to do the purchasing. The law was passed as part of the state’s deregulation of the electricity market, which required the utility companies to get out of the business of producing electricity thus opening the way for competition among electricity generators.

When cities and towns buy electricity for their residents, the purchasing decisions can take into account the residents’ interests and values. Other cities, including Melrose and Dedham, have started buying electricity. They’ve increased their mix of renewables by almost half without increasing residents’ electric bills. Community Choice Energy will allow Boston to do the same.

State law requires utilities to purchase 12% renewable electricity. According to the city’s latest calculations, the Community Choice Energy initiative would increase that to 18% renewables without raising electricity rates.

Community Choice Energy will:

• Increase the amount of renewable power available to everybody, including renters and others who can’t put solar panels on their roofs.
• Build more renewable energy sources. Each additional percent of renewable energy consumption in Boston translates to about five new wind turbines.
• Create jobs here in Massachusetts and New England, especially jobs building wind farms.
• Help minimize extreme heat, extreme storms and sea level rise from climate change, all of which threaten Boston.

Here’s what you can do to make this happen!

• Call District Councilor Tim McCarthy at (617) 635-3040 and Mayor Marty Walsh at (617) 635-4500 and tell them to bring Community Choice Energy to Boston.
• Attend the city council working session scheduled for Tuesday, April 25 at 3:00 pm in the Iannella Chamber on the 5th floor of Boston City Hall. The city Council will take input and discuss Community Choice Energy.
• Help with the Boston Climate Action Network/Green Justice Coalition campaign for Community Choice Energy. If you’d like to join us, send note to info@greeningrozzie.org.

In addition to boosting Boston’s renewable electricity consumption across-the-board by supporting Community Choice Energy, you can take action right now on your own. You can switch your home to 100% renewable electricity through the Mass Energy Consumers Alliance’s green electricity buying program.  (Note that Mass Energy is a Massachusetts nonprofit offering local renewable electricity, not one of the many for-profit companies that have been going door-to-door and calling people lately.)