∼ All newly eligible residents and small businesses will be receiving a letter and an FAQ explaining the program,
your electricity supply options, and how to change supply.

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

Just received a newly eligible letter?

If you just received a newly eligible letter and are not yet enrolled in the program

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
Hydro power dam

Contract for Yonkers participants beginning December, 2023

Direct Energy is the supplier for this contract, which is in effect from the first meter reads in December of 2023 to first meter reads of December 2024 (the new rates and supplier will appear on January bill). Rates will display on your bill with the 3% Gross Receipt Tax (GRT) added.

If you choose the renewable product offering, you will pay a premium for this product over the utility standard product pricing, however, you will be contributing to NYS clean energy goals.

The opt-out period for the contract renewal of the program in Yonkers ended on November 19, 2023. As always, you can opt out or change supply at any time.

100% Renewable Supply

NY State sourced
Primarily hydropower
Residential: 13.80¢/kWh
Small Commercial: 13.80¢/kWh
(rate displayed on bill will show with 3% GRT i.e. 14.214¢/kWh)

50% Renewable Supply – Default

NY State sourced
Primarily hydropower
Residential: 12.45¢/kWh
Small Commercial: 12.45¢/kWh
(rate displayed on bill will show with 3% GRT i.e. 12.824¢/kWh)

Westchester Power Basics

COLLECTIVE POWER – the community-selected default electricity supply option for 29 participating municipalities

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

RENEWABLE ENERGY made easily accessible, vetted, at scale; Standard supply also available

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.

Historic Con Edison average monthly rates

  • Rates do not include Yonkers Gross Receipt Tax (GRT).
  • The Con Edison 12-month trailing average for the period January 2023 to December 2023 was 9.445 cents/kWh for residential customers and 8.968 cents/kWh for small commercial customers

Westchester Municipalities Collectively Fight Climate Change Through Energy Choice Power

Since 2016, the Westchester Power Community Energy program has helped municipalities in Westchester County leverage the collective power of its residents to control costs and provide insurance against fluctuations in electricity supply through competitively priced and fixed-rate bulk purchasing, while also leading the transition to renewable energy in the state through Westchester Power’s 100% Renewable energy as the primary product subscription of most participants.

Renewable program participants annually mitigate 270,190 metric tons of carbon dioxide, which is the equivalent of taking 60,125 cars off the road for a year!

Since the recording of this video the Village of Tuckahoe joined the program (with the 2020 contract), as well as Yonkers (March 2022).

For more about Westchester Power fits into the clean energy transition click here.

Upcoming Outreach Events

Please check back for upcoming outreach events!

Please contact westchesterpower@sustainablewestchester.org if you are interested in co-sponsoring a future information session on the Yonkers Community Energy Program.

Yonkers Past Events

  • April 1st Enrollment Period Information Sessions
    February 26, 2024 at 6:30pm on Google Meet
    February 27,2024 at 12:00pm on Google Meet
  • Virtual Information Session on Monday, November 13, at 6:30pm
  • Information Session on Wednesday, November 8, at 6:30pm at the Riverfront Library
  • Virtual Information Session on Friday, November 3, at 12:00pm – click here to watch the recording
  • Sesión de Información Comunitaria en Español, 2 de noviembre a las 6:30pm en Zoom
  • October 23, 2023 at 6:30pm at the Grinton I. Will Library – click here to watch the recording
  • September 7, 2023 at 6:30pm at the Will Library – click here to watch the recording
  • September 6, 2023 at 6:30pm at the Riverfront Library
  • July 17, 2023 at 6:30pm at the Riverfront Library – click here to watch the recording
  • July 13, 2023 at 6:30pm at the Grinton I. Will Library – click here to watch the recording
  • June 3, 2023 from 12-5pm: Tabling event at the Science Barge Opening
  • May 31, 2023 from 10am-1pm: Tabling event at the Riverfront Library
  • May 25, 2023 from 2pm-5pm: Tabling event at the Grinton I. Will Library
  • Yonkers Residents, Tuesday March 7, 2023, Noon on Zoom and 7pm on Zoom – click here  to watch the recording
  • Sesión de información en español del programa en línea para residentes recién elegibles. Jueves 2 de Febrero. 2023 en Zoom.
  • Online program information session for newly eligible residents. Wednesday 2/1/2023 on Zoom.
  • Sesión de información en español del programa en línea para residentes recién elegibles. Jueves 10 de noviembre 2022 en ZOOM.
  • Online program information session for newly eligible residents. Wednesday, November 2nd 2022 on ZOOM.
  • Online program information session for newly eligible residents who have received notification letters. Tuesday, November 1st 2022 on ZOOM.

Outreach and Education Record

2023
2022
2021

Email Westchester Power program staff with any of your questions or comments about the program: westchesterpower@sustainablewestchester.org

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