TOWN OF GENEVA WILL CONTINUE PROVIDING RESIDENTS 100% RENEWABLE ENERGY
Geneva, NY—With its initial community choice electricity supply contract expiring June 30th, the Town of Geneva chose to continue providing its residents access to affordable, locally-sourced 100% renewable energy. In July 2019, Geneva began providing residents and small businesses clean electricity as the default option at a fixed rate for two years. The offering is part of the Finger Lakes Community Choice clean energy program. Joule Community Power (Joule) will continue to serve as the Program Administrator.
Finger Lakes Community Choice, a community choice aggregation (CCA) program, enables participating communities to leverage the collective buying power of residents and small businesses at large enough scale to dictate the terms of how they buy energy. CCA empowers municipalities to negotiate for renewable electricity at fixed rates that are priced lower than otherwise available. CCA is promoted by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the New York State Energy and Research Development Authority (NYSERDA) as a priority climate action. CCA programs, like Finger Lakes Community Choice, promote renewable energy generation, cut costs for consumers, and provide consumer protection.
Results
The inaugural two-year supply contract will be in effect through June 2021. Over the first eighteen months, Town of Geneva participants receiving 100% renewable electricity contributed to the avoidance of almost 5,800 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions, the equivalent amount of carbon sequestered by approximately 8,000 acres of forest.
New Supply Contract
The new contract will run from July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2023. The Town of Geneva chose 100% renewable electricity from Constellation, a leading competitive energy provider as its default energy option. The Town will again offer a fixed rate standard supply option and has also added a third fixed rate supply option, a 50% New York State renewable (the remaining 50% is matched by certificates sourced from U.S. wind farms). Eligible residents and businesses will be automatically enrolled for the 100% New York State renewable default option, but may withdraw or switch supply options, at any time, without incurring fees or penalties. Prior to July 1st, eligible New York State Electric & Gas (NYSEG) utility customers will receive a letter from the local municipality that includes information on how to opt out. Those who opt out will receive basic electricity supply service from NYSEG at the variable utility rate. Regardless of program participation, NYSEG remains responsible for delivery, repair service, and billing.
Finger Lakes Community Choice Rates
effective July 2021
Customer Class: Residential
FLCC 100% NYS Renewable Fixed Rate: $0.05790 per kWh
FLCC 50/50 Blend (NYS & Natl Wind) Fixed Rate $0.05470 per kWh
FLCC Standard Fixed Rate $0.04740 per kWh
Customer Class: Small Commercial
FLCC 100% NYS Renewable Fixed Rate: $0.05790 per kWh
FLCC 50/50 Blend (NYS & Natl Wind) Fixed Rate $0.05510 per kWh
FLCC Standard Fixed Rate $0.04780 per kWh
“This program is the result of a competitive procurement process,” said Joule Founder Mike Gordon. “The Town of Geneva selected Constellation as its default supplier because they were offered a unique combination of competitive pricing, consumer protection, and 100% renewable power.”
Maximizing Savings with Solar
Earlier this year, the Town of Geneva passed a resolution to approve community choice solar as a way to include the guaranteed savings community solar delivers as a default energy option. In 2019, the municipality endorsed an opt-in community solar pilot that supported local renewable energy generation while delivering guaranteed savings to participants. By including community solar as a default energy offering rather than an on an opt in basis, the town is able to make the benefits of community solar available to the entire community while removing enrollment hurdles and eliminating the need for a second bill for community solar in favor of consolidated billing that accounts for community solar as part of a consumer’s standard NYSEG bill. In March, Joule issued a Request for Information (RFI) from solar project developers. The new community solar offering is expected to launch later this year.
Geneva Town Supervisor Mark Venuti, said, “The joint effect of the two programs sponsored by the Town makes it easy to support renewable energy. 100% NY renewable on the fixed price contract is a little higher than non-renewable, but community solar, coming later this year, will provide a credit of about 10% off the electric bill; so, people who stay in both programs are supporting a sustainable future at little cost, and perhaps a saving, depending on how the regular electricity market goes over the next two years.”
“Constellation is proud to provide the Town of Geneva with price certainty and the opportunity to support the adoption of renewable energy,” said Kevin Klages, senior vice president, Constellation. “As a leading national competitive energy supplier with deep roots in serving New York customers, we look forward to supplying electricity to Geneva’s residents and small businesses.”
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About Constellation
Constellation is a leading competitive retail supplier of power, natural gas and clean energy solutions for homes and businesses across the continental United States. Constellation's family of retail businesses serves approximately 2 million residential, public sector and business customers, including three-fourths of the Fortune 100. Baltimore-based Constellation is a subsidiary of Exelon Corporation (Nasdaq: EXC), the nation's leading competitive energy provider, with 2020 revenues of approximately $33 billion, and more than 30,000 megawatts of owned capacity comprising one of the nation's cleanest and lowest-cost power generation fleets. Learn more at www.constellation.com or on Twitter at @ConstellationEG.
About Finger Lakes Community Choice
Finger Lakes Community Choice is a community choice aggregation program—comprising communities in Western New York—that enables participants to save money on electricity by pooling local electricity demand in order to leverage the collective buying power of their residents and small businesses in effort to secure more favorable terms on their electricity supply and community solar contracts, protect consumers, and support renewable generation sources. The program has two components: community choice electricity supply and a first-of-kind community choice solar offering. The participating communities include the Town of Geneva and the Villages of Brockport, Honeoye Falls, and Lima. As of July 1, 2019, the default energy supply to homes and small businesses in the Town of Geneva is 100% renewable. The Villages expect to launch electricity supply initiatives during 2021. The groundbreaking community choice solar offering, expected to launch by year-end 2021, will be an important pillar in the NY State Climate Action Plan mandate to reach 70% renewables by 2030. Finger Lakes Community Choice was formed in partnership with Joule Community Power. To learn more, visit
www.fingerlakescommunitychoice.com.
About Joule Community Power
Joule Community Power (Joule) works with municipalities and local partners to empower communities and facilitate their goals of providing residents and businesses with cleaner and cheaper energy. With no upfront cost to a municipality or its residents, Joule’s first-of-kind, integrated Community Power program helps municipalities and consumers (1) save money by gaining leverage to procure less expensive electricity for residents and businesses, (2) make money by creating new revenue opportunities through participation in energy markets, and (3) go green by gaining local control to opt for clean and renewable generation sources. Joule's distinctive expertise in designing and implementing new consumer-protective energy supply contracts was instrumental in the creation of New York State’s first community choice aggregation (CCA) energy program. Joule is the only company in NY State offering CCA administrative services with a Public Service Commission-approved implementation plan that integrates community solar projects; and only Joule has the expertise, relationships, and experience to effectively design, implement, and manage such a program. Joule’s innovative renewable energy strategy is driving new regulation and encouraging the NY State Public Service Commission to rapidly advance innovative solutions. Having created the blueprint to guide communities through a smooth and empowering decision process, Joule aims to scale its Community Power model across NY State and beyond. Joule also offers capacity tag management services to businesses wishing to reduce their electricity costs by strategically managing their energy consumption. Joule Community Power is a division of Joule Assets. To learn more, visit
joulecommunitypower.com.
