July 26, 2020
Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) is a method of power procurement which can offer greater control and savings to local communities. Local governments on Long Island are seeking to procure electricity via this model, with the aim of empowering both residents and business owners. Currently, Community Choice Aggregation is already authorized in the following states:
California
Illinois
Ohio
Massachusetts
New Jersey
New York
Rhode Island
Virginia
New York State, in particular, has really embraced the potential benefits of CCA. Currently, 80 NYS municipalities have adopted legislation authorizing CCA and more than 60 of these municipalities have already taken advantage of this authorization. This means that these municipalities are offering clean energy choices to their residents.
What is Community Choice Aggregation?
Community Choice Aggregation is a model of procurement which offers communities greater choice in terms of their energy supply and distribution. Local governments can procure power, on behalf of their citizens, from a provider other than the default utility. However, in the CCA model, the utility still provides transmission and distribution service. This gives local communities far greater control over their energy supply, without having to disrupt the service from their utility.
The basis of CCA is that it allows for greater communal leveraging power when it comes to negotiating with prospective suppliers. This means a greater choice with regard to renewable energy, and better potential supply rates. Not only can communities go green and contribute to the growth of renewable energy, they can also save money while doing so.
How Does Community Choice Aggregation Work?
As noted above, local governments must adopt legislation authorizing CCA in order to take advantage of the CCA model. Eligibility for participation is then dependent on the particular regulations of each local government with regard to CCA. It’s also important to note that CCA participation is always voluntary and energy customers within the jurisdiction will generally have the option to opt out if a CCA program is implemented.
The Benefits of Community Choice Aggregation
There are numerous advantages associated with Community Choice Aggregation, from the development of renewable energy to the savings on offer for energy consumers.
Enables quicker growth and development of renewable energy
Gives greater local control over electricity generation
Offers potential for savings
Gives energy consumers greater choice
Can boost local job growth
Assists in deployment of renewable energy systems
Could lead to growth in EV market
Community Choice Aggregation Long Island
For energy consumers on Long Island, a CCA program in their locality can offer greater community choice in terms of energy sources, as well as savings on their utility bills. Generally speaking, if a CCA program is implemented in your area, and you are a PSEG-LI customer, you should be able to participate. Of course, as mentioned previously, it all comes down to local governments and their willingness to legislate for the authorization of the CCA model.
Great progress has been made already, but YSG Solar hopes to see further growth of CCA across Long Island and throughout the state of New York. This can only benefit energy consumers and further boost the deployment of renewable energy sources like solar, leading to a reduced carbon footprint and a cleaner future for all of us.
If you’re interested in solar energy for your community, get in touch with YSG today. Send us an email, or call at 212.389.9215 and we will discuss the benefits of a community solar project in your area. Additionally, we can help individuals and businesses to find a community solar subscription in their locality.
YSG Solar is a project development vehicle responsible for commoditizing energy infrastructure projects. We work with long-term owners and operators to provide clean energy assets with stable, predictable cash flows. YSG's market focus is distributed generation and utility-scale projects located within North America.
Sources: