Newly Eligible customers should receive notification letters starting the week of 6/23.  The deadline for changing supply or opting out before August 1st enrollments is 6/25.

Yonkers Riverfest collage

Yonkers Weighs in for
a Clean Energy Future

In March of 2022 Yonkers became the largest city in New York to establish a community energy program under the NY State community choice aggregation model, reinforcing it’s already impressive accomplishments and momentum under its Yonkers Green City initiative.

Quick links for your energy choices

Received a notification letter?

To opt out or change supply

Click here

Existing customer or want to opt in?

If you would like to opt in, opt out, change supply,
or check your enrollment

Click here

Current contract for Yonkers participants beginning December, 2024

Direct Energy is the supplier for this contract, which is in effect from the first meter reads in December of 2024 to first meter reads of December 2025 (the new rates and supplier will appear on January bill).  The 50% Renewable supply option is the default in Yonkers. Rates will display on your bill with the 3% Gross Receipt Tax (GRT) added.

Renewable energy is New York State sourced, primarily hydropower. Standard energy is a grid mix similar to the utility, mostly fossil fuels.

Yonkers program rates

100% Renewable 50% Renewable
Residential 12.77¢/kWh 11.55¢/kWh
Small Commercial 12.77¢/kWh 11.55¢/kWh

You may pay a premium for these renewable products over the utility standard product pricing, however, you will be contributing to NYS clean energy goals.

Westchester Power Basics

COLLECTIVE POWER – the community-selected default electricity supply option for 26 participating municipalities

[ConEdison remains responsible for Distribution – the infrastructure and billing]

RENEWABLE ENERGY made easily accessible, vetted, at scale

OPT-OUT FORMAT – eligible customers are enrolled in the default supply unless they take action to opt out or change supply

CONSUMER-FRIENDLY structure allows you to participate with no contracts, fees, or penalties for coming or going

RATE STABILITY – stable and predictable pricing vs the monthly variability of the utility supply

Savings are not guaranteed through this program, as we cannot predict what the utility will charge month-to-month

For more information the Dept. of Public Service has prepared this FAQ: faq-template_v2.pdf

Contacts and resources:

How to read your bill

When your electricity supply is from an Energy Service Company (ESCO) such as is the case with participation in Westchester Power, the supply charge is separated from the Con Edison distribution charge, where before they were combined. Click here for Con Edison explanation of other charges.

Current Yonkers Rates vs Con Edison Monthly Averages

  • Rates do not include Yonkers Gross Receipt Tax (GRT).
  • The Con Edison 12-month trailing average for the period April 2024 to March 2025 was 10.591 cents/kWh for residential customers and 9.999 cents/kWh for small commercial customers
  • For information on how to find the cost comparison for your electricity usage, click here

Historic Yonkers Rates vs Con Edison Monthly Averages

  • Rates do not include Yonkers Gross Receipt Tax (GRT).
  • The Con Edison 12-month trailing average for the period January 2024 to December 2024 was 10.275 cents/kWh for residential customers and 9.468 cents/kWh for small commercial customers
  • For information on how to find the cost comparison for your electricity usage, click here

Upcoming Outreach Events

Virtual Information Session on Tuesday, July 8, 7:00pm:
Register Here

Sesión de Información Comunitaria, miércoles, 9 de julio a las 7:00pm en Google Meet (Virtual): Registrarse Aquí

Please check back for upcoming outreach events!

Please contact [email protected] if you are interested in co-sponsoring a future information session on the Yonkers Community Energy Program.

Yonkers Past Events

2025

February 26, 12:00pm: Virtual Information Session

February 26, 7:00pm: Virtual Information Session

27 de febrero a las 7:00pm Sesión de Información Comunitaria en Google Meet (Virtual)

Click here for archived list of events prior to 2025

Outreach and Education Record

2024
2023
2022
2021

Email Westchester Power program staff with any of your questions or comments about the program: [email protected]

A Community Energy Platform

The large scale of the program enables us to attract new opportunities for increased environmental impact and potential savings. These include:

Community Solar – You can help put more clean energy on the grid and save money at the same time by subscribing to a large solar farm through Sustainable Westchester’s Community Solar program. Currently, participation requires a separate signup process and a two bill system (your electric bill and a separate solar credits bill). NY State has required Con Ed and other utilities to include Community Solar on the electric bill, which means that the program will be able to deliver solar discount credits directly without a separate bill.

This has very exciting implications for our ability to engage and provide benefits to low income households.

Solar developers have taken particular interest and this should stimulate more projects in Westchester. Meanwhile, you can subscribe today and save up to 10% on your electric bill.

Demand Response – Previously available only to large commercial businesses, Sustainable Westchester has collaborated with a technology firm, Logical Buildings, to pilot demand response for residential customers. By cutting usage during a few peak hours of the year, Con Ed can avoid switching on the dirtiest “Peaker Plants”, and will pay you money for that. Learn more about the GridRewards program and how to opt in here.

Let’s Talk Clean Energy

Why clean energy? By now, everyone has heard of climate change, but it’s not always easy to make the connection to our daily lives. Our energy choices are, however, linked to many of the most serious challenges that we face these days, as well as the question of what kind of future we leave our children.

Most of our electricity is still generated by burning fossil fuels which release greenhouse gases into our atmosphere. This has contributed to our environment’s degradation, increased global temperatures, and triggered extreme weather events at the local levels, such as more frequent and higher intensity storms and changes in seasonal patterns. Here’s a short video about the greenhouse effect which is responsible for this problem.

Solar, wind, and hydropower are emissions-free sources of energy. New York State has an aggressive plan to switch over to these clean energy sources and away from fossil fuels. Westchester communities have taken the lead in these efforts, and now dozens of NY communities have followed with similar programs.

Clean Energy Implications
for Westchester County

Our communities need to move away from fossil fuel-powered electricity quickly to help mitigate the challenges associated with Climate Change. A transformation towards clean-powered electricity is entirely possible.

Westchester Power communities can help accelerate this transition, promoting the generation of clean energy, as well as sending signals to electricity generators, investors, and governments that we place a high priority on ensuring a sustainable and healthy future.

Our energy choices and COVID 19

Studies are showing that areas with higher levels of pollution see worse outcomes from COVID 19. Many observers have pointed out the similarities in the challenges since both require collective, long-term action to solve.

Sea Level Rise

Over the past century, the Hudson has risen about a foot due to global warming (see this Scenic Hudson article), threatening households and habitats. This map shows how the Yonkers waterfront may fare over this century. We can reduce the impact and costs by taking strong action to reverse the growth of greenhouse gases.

Temperature Rise & Disparate Impacts

By the year 2100, on our current trajectory, New York starts to look more like Florida (Climate Central):

But like so many of the effects of global warming, the impact can vary greatly. Groundwork Hudson Valley has done amazing work to go one step further and show how the practice of Redlining has amplified the environmental justice aspect of the problem through the creation of “heat islands” [read more here]:

More resources about local climate change impacts