https://www.americancityandcounty.com/wp-content/themes/acc_child/assets/images/logo/footer-logo.png
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Hybrid Work
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcast
  • Resources & Events
    • Back
    • Resources
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • IWCE 2022
    • How to Contribute
    • Municipal Cost Index – Archive
    • Equipment Watch Page
    • American City & County Awards
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Privacy Statement
    • Terms of Service
American City and County
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Hybrid Work
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcasts
  • Resources/Events
    • Back
    • Webinars
    • White Papers/eBooks
    • IWCE 2022
    • How to Contribute
    • American City & County Awards
    • Municipal Cost Index
    • Equipment Watch Page
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Cookie Policy
    • Privacy Stament
    • Terms of Service
  • newsletter
  • Administration
  • Economy & Finance
  • Procurement
  • Public Safety
  • Public Works & Utilities
  • Smart Cities & Technology
  • Magazine
acc.com

Keeping renewable electricity local

Keeping renewable electricity local

  • Written by rodwellj
  • 20th September 2018

Keeping renewable electricity local
Greenfield, Mass.

In January 2015, Greenfield, Mass., began providing its utility customer residents with 100 percent green electricity as part of its opt-in Greenfield Light and Power Program. By that November, the city was obtaining a portion of that electricity from renewable electricity generated locally and in nearby communities.

Greenfield accomplished this through municipal aggregation, which lets a municipality organize its electricity supply on behalf of its residents though group purchasing. Through the Greenfield Light and Power Program, the city pioneered municipal aggregation of local, renewably-generated electricity — all without incurring any additional costs — in Massachusetts.

“We want to provide green electricity and we want to get it as local as possible… we basically enhanced municipal aggregation to be this tool to pursue a sustainability agenda that we have in town,” Greenfield Director of Energy and Sustainability Carole Collins says.

Massachusetts requires utilities and electricity suppliers to annually purchase a set percentage of renewable energy certificates (RECs), which shows that an eligible in-state energy producer is generating a given amount of renewable energy. For solar producers, that amount is 1 megawatt hour. Greenfield had created the Greenfield Solar Challenge in 2014, which was a partnership with a local cell installer that brought bulk purchasing of solar cells to its residents, while lowering costs. This ultimately generated 600 solar RECs in Greenfield, which come from residential and business sources.

Greenfield then worked with a partnership of two companies to develop a green-focused aggregation plan and to negotiate the purchase of RECs from renewable energy producers in Greenfield and nearby communities. So far, the Greenfield Light and Power Program has acquired 1,385 solar RECs from local and nearby sources. Four Massachusetts farms supply some of the city’s RECs, and none come from farther away than Maine.  In addition to the Greenfield Light and Power Program not incurring any additional costs, opted-in residential and small commercial customers will pay at least 1.5 cents per kilowatt hour less than what they paid when the program launched.

“You have to pay your utility bill,” Collins says. “So to take something you have to pay anyway and make it into something that then can actually make the planet better and make your community better is pretty cool. And especially when it doesn’t add any cost and potentially saves you money.”

_____________

To get connected and stay up-to-date with similar content from American City & County:
Like us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter
Watch us on YouTube

Tags:

Related Content

  • Report: First responders use smartphones more than mobile radios
  • Trails, greenways and parks infrastructure projects boost economic activity and help residents live healthier lives
  • Location intelligence can help support urban revitalization
  • What about smart roadways? Missouri-based tech startup intends to turn highways into networks

White papers


How to Assemble a Rockstar Website Redesign Steering Committee

7th June 2022

Hand Hygiene: Compliance Matters

23rd May 2022

What it Takes to Build a Winning Esports Program

23rd May 2022
view all

Events


PODCAST


Young Leaders Episode 4 – Cyril Jefferson – City Councilman, High Point, North Carolina

13th October 2020

Young Leaders Episode 3 – Shannon Hardin – City Council President, Columbus, Ohio

27th July 2020

Young Leaders Episode 2 – Christian Williams – Development Services Planner, Goodyear, Ariz.

1st July 2020
view all

Twitter


AmerCityCounty

We want to hear from you! Please take this brief survey and let us know how your organization is managing your budg… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

30th June 2022
AmerCityCounty

Report: Reforming emergency dispatch won’t be easy, but it’s necessary dlvr.it/ST7kQ5

30th June 2022
AmerCityCounty

Three U.S. cities to adopt Bloomberg Philanthropies Mayors Challenge-winning project to combat climate change dlvr.it/ST4bjk

29th June 2022
AmerCityCounty

10 cities ideal for hybrid or full-time telecommuters seeking an outdoor lifestyle dlvr.it/ST4T5g

29th June 2022
AmerCityCounty

Take American City & County’s budgeting survey dlvr.it/ST0qQP

28th June 2022
AmerCityCounty

Six cities and counties will take stock of underutilized assets in Rethinking Revenue incubator dlvr.it/ST0ZVp

28th June 2022
AmerCityCounty

Seamless Cooperative Experience Saves Indiana City Exponentially in Time and Money dlvr.it/SSxp95

27th June 2022
AmerCityCounty

10 best large cities for fishing dlvr.it/SSxbSZ

27th June 2022

Newsletters

Sign up for American City & County’s newsletters to receive regular news and information updates about local governments.

Resale Insights Dashboard

The Resale Insights Dashboard provides model-level data for the entire used equipment market to help you save time and money.

Municipal Cost Index

Updated monthly since 1978, our exclusive Municipal Cost Index shows the effects of inflation on the cost of providing municipal services

Media Kit and Advertising

Want to reach our digital audience? Learn more here.

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • IWCE’s Urgent Communications
  • IWCE Expo

WORKING WITH US

  • About Us
  • Contact Us

FOLLOW American City and County ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookies Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2022 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.
This website uses cookies, including third party ones, to allow for analysis of how people use our website in order to improve your experience and our services. By continuing to use our website, you agree to the use of such cookies. Click here for more information on our Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy.
X