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.
What is Green Energy?
Mission
To give Westchester County residents better energy choices through collective action that create stable future prices, access clean power at competitive rates, and opportunities for developing local, sustainable energy systems and programs.
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.
ABOUT THE WESTCHESTER POWER PROGRAM
Who Manages the Westchester Power Program?
Sustainable Westchester, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) consortium of Westchester County local governments, has been authorized by the New York State Public Service Commission to act as the manager and administrator of Westchester Power on behalf of its member municipalities. Westchester Power is a program of Sustainable Westchester and participating Westchester County municipalities that have passed the required local legislation and then chose to participate in the program.
When Did The Program Begin?
Westchester Power launched in May 2016 with 20 participating municipalities, and as of March 2022, a total of 29 municipalities currently participate. The change to the new supply rate is reflected in either the first or second bill after its municipality participation is finalized, depending on each customer’s billing cycle.
Who Participates In Westchester Power?
Approximately 145,000 county residents and small businesses in Westchester municipalities are currently in the program.
What Does This Mean For Me?
This means that Westchester Power will negotiate the best possible rate on behalf of all participating consumers. While your state-designated utility, either Con Edison or NYSEG, will still deliver the energy supplied through Westchester Power.
It also means that you have a choice to help eliminate carbon pollution by opting up to 100% renewable energy sources.
How Does The Westchester Power Program Work?
On behalf of the participating municipalities, Westchester Power has negotiated to buy electricity at a bulk, fixed rates from a single supplier for each jurisdiction in the program. For residents and small businesses in participating municipalities, Westchester Power will automatically become the default electricity provider, allowing the purchase of electric supply at the contracted fixed rate. Con Edison or NYSEG will continue to handle the consumer’s billing, deliver electricity, maintain power lines, and respond to service outages.
Who Manages the Westchester Power Program?
Who Manages the Westchester Power Program?
Sustainable Westchester, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) consortium of Westchester County local governments, has been authorized by the New York State Public Service Commission to act as the manager and administrator of Westchester Power on behalf of its member municipalities. Westchester Power is a program of Sustainable Westchester and participating Westchester County municipalities that have passed the required local legislation and then chose to participate in the program.
When Did The Program Begin?
When Did The Program Begin?
Westchester Power launched in May 2016 with 20 participating municipalities, and as of March 2022, a total of 29 municipalities currently participate. The change to the new supply rate is reflected in either the first or second bill after its municipality participation is finalized, depending on each customer’s billing cycle.
Who Participates In Westchester Power?
Who Participates In Westchester Power?
Approximately 145,000 county residents and small businesses in Westchester municipalities are currently in the program.
What Does This Mean For Me?
What Does This Mean For Me?
This means that Westchester Power will negotiate the best possible rate on behalf of all participating consumers. While your state-designated utility, either Con Edison or NYSEG, will still deliver the energy supplied through Westchester Power.
It also means that you have a choice to help eliminate carbon pollution by opting up to 100% renewable energy sources.
How Does The Westchester Power Program Work?
How Does The Westchester Power Program Work?
On behalf of the participating municipalities, Westchester Power has negotiated to buy electricity at a bulk, fixed rates from a single supplier for each jurisdiction in the program. For residents and small businesses in participating municipalities, Westchester Power will automatically become the default electricity provider, allowing the purchase of electric supply at the contracted fixed rate. Con Edison or NYSEG will continue to handle the consumer’s billing, deliver electricity, maintain power lines, and respond to service outages.
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 six US states: California, Illinois, Massachusetts, Ohio, New Jersey and Rhode Island. New York will be the seventh. Over five million customers nationwide 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
Rebid of contracts
New contracts include
NYS Hydropower RECs
27 Municipalities
TODAY
Positioning for Renewal
Increasing renewable energy impact
