Every Question You Had About Renewable Power Program in Yonkers Answered Below
An Interview with Dan Welsh, Program Director, Westchester Power, Sustainable Westchester
What is the Westchester Power program in Yonkers?
Westchester Power is a COMMUNITY ENERGY Program and it is New York State’s first, largest program of its kind and is widely recognized as the State model. The program is a way to allow local governments to have a say in the energy choices available to their residents and the program is tightly regulated by the New York State Public Service Commission. Community Energy programs are designed to provide consumer protection and transparency with rates and program design. The Westchester Power program is managed and administered by Sustainable Westchester, a nonprofit organization, whose membership consists of Westchester County municipalities and the County itself. Our goal is to bring clean energy and sustainable solutions that are environmentally, fiscally and socially responsible – with the end-result of creating healthier, more resilient communities.
Yonkers is the latest of 29 municipalities in Westchester to join the Westchester Power Community Energy Program. For decades, Con Edison has passed through a variable market rate, predominantly non-renewable electricity supply to residents as the default when they establish their account. This traditional utility structure and the process of selecting the source of that default does not include community specific input. With the Westchester Power program, this has now changed.
Through the Westchester Power program, the City of Yonkers has now established a competitive, accountable process by which energy suppliers participate in an auction to provide Yonkers households with the lowest possible fixed-rates for both a renewable and a standard, non-renewable supply. The program provides choice and makes a vetted, proven renewable energy option accessible to residents.
Residents now have several vetted choices they can make about their energy supply:
- Keep the default Westchester Power renewable fixed-rate supply product priced at 8.709 cents/kWh.
- Choose the Westchester Power non-renewable (“Standard”) fixed-rate supply product priced at 7.287 cents/kWh.
- Choose to stay with Con Edison with the utility’s variable rate.
- Choose any other ESCO on your own.
Though we can’t know what ConEd’s variable supply rates will be, they are widely expected to be higher in 2022 than last year and spiked to 12 cents/kWh for the first half of January.In contrast to Con Edison, the Westchester Power rates are fixed until November 30, 2023 for both the renewable and standard products, protecting participants from any rate increases during this period. In fact, the program can help residents cap their utility rate as residents are always free to opt-out of the program and return to Con Edison supply if the utility’s rates are lower (it takes X to X billing cycles to affect this change if requested after February 9th). The Westchester Power program does not guarantee savings.
How can residents exercise their choice?
The program begins with residents’ first meter read after March 1st.
Residents who would like to keep the new default renewable supply need not take any action. The pre-enrollment opt-out period ends February 9, but it is important to note that participants can opt out at any time after that with no fee or penalty. Opting out before February 9th, simply means you will never have been enrolled.
Residents can choose to remain with the Con Edison supply, or switch to the Westchester Power Standard supply in the following ways:
- the best option is to go online to opt-out at www.sustainablewestchester.org/wp if the resident has the mailing that was sent to them about the program, which contains a pre-enrollment ID number,
- email info@sustainablewestchester.org with their request (they should include the name on the ConEd account and the account address).
- Residents can mail back the opt-out card found in the notification letter packet, which should be received by February 9th.
- Residents can also call Sustainable Westchester’s offices at 914-242-4725 during normal business hours and provide the name and the address on the account.
- Residents can also switch from renewable to standard supply by email at info@sustainablewestchester.org, through the Sustainable Westchester website portal or by phone to our offices.
What are the benefits of the program?
Communities all over New York representing millions of households are following Westchester’s lead in creating Community Energy Programs like Westchester Power because they know that the climate crisis requires an active approach and programs of this type provide residents with a vetted, proven choice to access renewable energy. While municipal involvement in utility services may seem unusual to some, in many contexts they are the norm. Utility supply is a traditional area of municipal involvement – we are all used to water and sewer services, and there are many places in rural New York and outside of the State that have municipal electric utilities. Addressing the environmental impact of our electricity supply is certainly within the scope of municipal governments and is recognized as a beneficial exercise of home rule authority.
Other energy program opportunities including Community Solar and GridRewards (both of which provide electricity bill savings), are available because we have the scale that CCA brings. Over 2,000 households in Westchester are saving up to 10% on their electricity bills because they signed up for our Community Solar program. Almost the same number of households participated last summer in Grid Rewards, New York’s first demand response program for residential customers. These households earned an average of $67 for reducing their electricity usage during times of peak stress on our electricity grid.
Very importantly, we look to Westchester Power as a vehicle to help drive the benefits of the clean energy economy to low income residents who have had fewer opportunities to benefit to date. We have made a petition to the State to allow us to provide the Community Solar discount credits to low income customers on an opt-out basis.
There are additional direct benefits to the move to clean energy. Westchester has an F-grade from the American Lung Association for air quality, and we know health impacts of this problem fall hardest on the environmental justice areas that include Yonkers.
How can residents learn more?
Sustainable Westchester, the program administrator, is eager to provide information about the program to Yonkers residents and to answer all questions. They have scheduled the following upcoming information sessions.
Information can be found at sustainablewestchester.org/wp/yonkers.
Feb 3rd Zoom Office Hours (drop in and ask questions, get help making your enrollment choices) at 12:00 PM and 5:00 PM on February 3 use this: Zoom Link. An additional later evening event added on February 3rd at 8PM is available use this: ZOOM LINK
Weekend Information Session/Office Hour is available on Saturday 2/5/2022 beginning at 12 noon use this ZOOM Link.
Monday 2/7
12 noon ZOOM LINK
8 PM ZOOM LINK
Tuesday 2/8
8 pm ZOO LINK
Wednesday 2/9 at 12 noon ZOOM
On-going information sessions & office hours will take place through the end of March
Wednesday Community Energy Information Sessions (presentations will take place, no registration needed): February 16, March 2, March 30 at 12:00 PM and 6:00 PM: Zoom Link
Thursday Zoom Office Hours at 12:00 PM and 5:00: February 10, February 17, February 24th. Zoom Link.
Sustainable Westchester will be scheduling more events soon! If you are interested in hosting an event for a community organization, please contact paul@sustainablewestchester.org.
It is important that the community has the facts about this program and your energy supply choices. Please share this information with other members of the community – bring friends, neighbors!
Why did some residents not receive a letter?
Residents who have already selected an electricity provider other than Con Ed, or have put a block on their Con Ed accounts, will remain with their current provider (and therefore did not receive a letter about Westchester Power).
Residents who receive HEAP (Home Energy Assistance Program) assistance are not eligible to participate in Westchester Power and therefore, also, did not receive a letter about the program.
Why is this an opt-out structure vs. opt-in?
It is important to consider the concept of opt-out supply. There is always a default supplier – that has been Con Edison for decades. When a resident moves into a new home and calls to turn on the power, they will receive power from Con Edison – unless they take action to switch. In municipalities that have established Community Energy programs, the default changes from the Con Ed (large regulated monopoly) to the community-chosen supply, but you still have the option to switch to another ESCO or back to Con Ed as you see fit. In this sense, Con Ed is really an opt-out program too.
In this instance, Westchester Power affords greater choice as it offers 100% renewable energy through a vetted, proven program without burdening the resident to become an energy expert or navigate through confusing, complicated ESCO offers.
Remember, there is always a choice with the Westchester Power program at no cost, fee or penalty. Opt-out can happen at any time beyond the February 9th date until the account is no longer active. It is a simple process and that can be done online or by phone.
What are the taxes outlined on the notification letter?
The city does not receive a fee, nor is it charged for participation in Westchester Power. Taxes and related items are standard and consistent with current utilities.
The GRT tax is consistent with all utilities and is a tax assessed by the Cities and Villages in Westchester County. This tax is part of the bill whether Con Ed, Westchester Power or an ESCO of your own choosing. Residents will see the GRT tax listed in their supply charges on their current Con Ed bill, this is not a new tax. This will remain consistent if a resident chooses to opt-out of the program or chooses to remain enrolled.
Are there going to be surprises with the program?
Westchester Power is Not an ESCO – No surprises or strong arm tactics. The ESCO industry unfortunately has a history of bad practices. This includes enrolling people who have declined to enroll, offering low teaser rates and imposing high cancellation fees, among other abusive practices. These abuses are a longstanding concern and Sustainable Westchester has provided education and information to consumers since Westchester Power began in 2016 to educate residents about these practices and how to avoid them.
Westchester Power’s fixed rates, ability to cancel at any time with no fee, and public education processes provide protections against these practices.
There are no fees/penalties to opt-out, no bidding contracts, no surprise increasing rates or strong-arm tactics to keep anyone in the program. In this instance, Westchester Power affords greater choice as it offers 100% renewable and standard energy through a vetted, proven program
Will Con Ed continue to deliver and service accounts within the Westchester Power program?
Con Ed provides the same delivery service to Westchester Power participants as it does to customers who purchase electricity supply from Con Ed. Maintenance of lines, response to emergencies, and help with billing issues remains consistent. In fact, Con Ed is required by law and regulated by the Public Service Commission to provide equal service to all accounts regardless of their energy supplier.
Westchester Power only affects a resident’s supply, not their delivery of electricity.
Visit sustainablewestchester.org/wp/yonkers for more information.
