Announcement: Placeholder announcement text goes here. Stay tuned for updates!
Renewable electricity Pass on a healthier environment to future generations
Group purchasing Negotiate better terms on electricity for you and your neighbors
Local decision-making Replace the state-selected electricity choice, often fossil fuel-based, allowing tailored decisions for your community
Our municipality has partnered with Constellation Community Power (a division of Constellation Assets) to administer this program
Increase your electricity options. You still have energy options already available to you, plus those added by your community's electricity buying group, including cleaner electricity.
Get you off the electricity price rollercoaster. Your local government is helping stabilize your electricity supply costs and provide competitive rates.
No extra fees. There is no fee for participating in or leaving the program.
No action required. Eligible residents and businesses are automatically included and may leave or rejoin at any time at no cost.
No additional bill. Your utility continues to manage billing, delivery, and power line maintenance.
Town of Highlands Community Power has secured a new rate for electricity supply for our residents and small businesses through a competitive bidding process.
Before an electricity supply program launches, eligible residents and small businesses (non-demand customers) who are receiving the utility’s electricity supply option and do not have a block on their electricity account are notified and will automatically be enrolled in the program, unless they choose to opt-out before the program launches. (See below for reasons why some accounts are not eligible). Those enrolled will receive the community choice electricity supply offering.
Customers can change their electricity supply choice, leave, or rejoin the program at any point at no cost.
The following utility customers will not receive a mailing and are not automatically enrolled:
If you did not receive a mailing, you may still be eligible to participate if you prefer to do so. You can change your electricity supply choice, leave, or rejoin the program at any point, at no cost.
If you have questions or want to know more about your participation status, please contact us to learn more.
You can participate in both! You can benefit from solar and the electricity supply program at the same time.
What changes is the source of your electricity:
Before the program:
With Community Power Supply:
What stays the same?
There are two fixed-rate electricity supply options under our program:
You may choose between these supply options, opt out of the program, or opt in at any time with no fees. There are no contracts for consumers.
If eligible, you will automatically be enrolled in the 100% Renewable Option unless you choose the Standard Option or opt-out of the program before September 15, 2023.
If you opt out, you will stay on (or be returned to) the utility’s fossil fuel-based electricity supply option.
View educational resources such as Notification Letters, an FAQ by the State Department of Public Service, outreach efforts in your community.
The policy tool behind the renewable electricity supply program: Community Choice Aggregation (CCA). The NY Public Service Commission (PSC) authorized CCA April 21, 2016. The PSC continues to regulate CCA with the support of the Department of Public Service (DPS). Information including CCA program rules can be found here on the DPS website. The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) created a toolkit to support the development of CCA. The toolkit can be found here on NYSERDA’s website.
Your local government helps select the power source for the community’s electricity supply*, including the percentage of renewable electricity.
Your utility continues to handle:
Reliability for your electricity supply will not be affected by this program.
You benefit from:
You pay your utility bill as usual, which continues to include separate charges for electricity supply (now provided by the program) and the utility’s usual delivery charges.
You can change your electricity supply choice, leave, or rejoin the program at any point, at no cost.
*This program only affects the electricity supply portion of your bill, the delivery charge - for the utility’s services remains the same regardless of whether you participate
You can participate in both your community’s local solar program and the renewable electricity supply program at the same time.*
*Unlike the renewable electricity supply program, which automatically includes eligible customers, community solar requires you to actively enroll. The good news? Enrollment is easy and free!
Date: 10/22/2024
Time: 6:00 PM
Location: Highlands Library
Learn how renewable electricity options can benefit your community and household.
Date: February 20, 2024
Time: 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM
Location: Community Center
Join us for an interactive session to answer all your questions about renewable energy options.
Date: March 10, 2024
Time: 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Location: Green Energy Hub
Learn about the future of clean energy and how we can make the transition to sustainable power sources.
When we act as a community, we can accelerate the transition to a more sustainable future for all.