By Michele Brooks, Boston Community Organizer, Massachusetts Chapter
In 2019 the City of Boston updated their Climate Action Plan, outlining strategies to accelerate decarbonization in all sectors (buildings, transportation, electricity, and waste) in order to achieve its goal of being carbon-free by 2050.
Focusing on the electric sector, one of the primary strategies identified to transition to a carbon-free and resilient energy supply, is implementation of community choice electricity. Community Choice Electricity (CCE), also known as municipal aggregation, is a way for cities and towns to purchase electricity on behalf of their residents. The program will allow the City to leverage its purchasing power to provide more renewable energy than the state requires utility companies to buy, and will give residents a trusted option to power their homes and businesses.
Research on CCE programs across the state of Massachusetts has proven it to be the single most effective way for municipalities to aggregate their electricity buying to stabilize rates and increase access to renewable energy for residents of all incomes. It also increases demand for renewable energy in the local economy, opening up opportunities for job creation in the clean energy sector.
After a multi-year process beginning with authorization by the Boston City Council in 2017, the City of Boston's Community Choice Electricity plan was finally approved by the state of Massachusetts’ Department of Public Utilities this summer, enabling the City to begin implementation. This is a critical victory for climate in the City of Boston, and one to be shared amongst many advocates, stakeholders, and members of the public who have participated in the process, with much credit to our partners at Boston Climate Action Network and the Green Justice Coalition who organized a strong campaign to achieve this huge win.
As a member of the City’s CCE working group, the Massachusetts Chapter helped design the guiding principles for the program which include: reducing carbon emissions, prioritizing new and local renewable energy projects, providing affordable and stable electric rates, delivering benefits and economic opportunities to environmental justice communities, and strengthening community protection around electricity supply.
Prioritization for renewable energy acquired through the aggregation program will be given to projects sourced in Boston first, then Massachusetts, if outside of Massachusetts, within New England, or where additionality can be demonstrated elsewhere.
With a goal of launching the program early in 2021, all residents of the City of Boston on basic service will automatically be opted in the program. There will also be an option to opt up to 100% clean electricity.
We are continuing to work with the City and advise them in the implementation process. If you’re interested in getting involved in this campaign, contact our Boston community organizer Michele at michele.brooks@sierraclub.org.