Westchester Power (Community Choice Aggregation, CCA) is a community-based bulk energy purchasing program designed to control costs and increase the use of renewable energy in Westchester County. Westchester Power is a program initiated and implemented by Sustainable Westchester Inc, on behalf of member municipalities that have chosen to participate in the program.
Sustainable Westchester is a non-profit organization that serves the interests of its member cities, towns and villages. Westchester Power provides residents and small business electric customers a locally chosen alternative to the state-mandated utility—Con Edison or NYSEG—for energy supply. Westchester Power represents the best interests of consumers by providing choices for competitive, fixed prices and cleaner energy.
Participating Communities
As of 2022, Westchester Power has grown to 29 communities accounting for 145,000 Westchester electric customers, representing 40% of the county residents.
There are three electricity supply groupings:
- Con Edison Municipalities (except for Yonkers): Ardsley, Bedford, Croton-on-Hudson, Dobbs Ferry, Town of Greenburgh, Hastings-on-Hudson, Irvington, Larchmont, Town of Mamaroneck, Village of Mamaroneck, Village of Mount Kisco, New Castle, City of New Rochelle, Town of Ossining, Village of Ossining, City of Peekskill, Village of Pelham, Pleasantville, City of Rye, Rye Brook, Sleepy Hollow, Tarrytown, Tuckahoe, City of White Plains
- NYSEG Municipalities: Bedford, Lewisboro, North Salem, Pound Ridge, Somers
- City of Yonkers
Municipal default supply: Each municipality picks one supply option as the default for the community. Participants can easily change to the other supply, but if no change is requested they are enrolled in the default.
What is Westchester Power?
Mission
To give Westchester County residents better energy choices through collective action, thereby stabilizing prices, providing convenient access to clean power at competitive rates, and creating opportunities for developing local, sustainable energy systems and programs.
What Can We Do?
Westchester Power:
A Brief Historical Perspective
In February 2015, Sustainable Westchester, a non-profit 501(c)(3) consortium of Westchester County local governments was selected by the New York State Public Service Commission to launch New York State’s first Community Choice Aggregation program (“Order Granting Petition in Part” in Case 14-M-0564, issued February 26, 2015). Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) is an energy procurement program that enables participating communities to join together and purchase electricity in bulk. Purchasing electricity in bulk provides the market clout to negotiate lower rates and to offer credible, clean energy choices for customers.
Community Choice Aggregation is currently available in eight US states: California, Illinois, Massachusetts, Ohio, New Jersey, Rhode Island, New York, and New Hampshire. Over 10.6 million households nationwide are served by a CCA program, and over 350,000 households in New York State are served by a CCA program.
Westchester Power Timeline
2015
PSC approval
of pilot
2016
Launch
with 20 municipalities
2017 – 2018
Development
Expansion of CCA’s State-wide Westchester Power; new municipal participation Education & outreach Systems & reporting enhancements
2019 Onward
Multiple contract renewals
Contracts include
NYS Hydropower RECs
29 Municipalities
TODAY
Positioning for Renewal
Increasing renewable energy impact