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September, 2024
For the past eight years, the Town of Somers has been one of the many municipalities in Westchester County to be a part of the Community Choice Aggregation program. This program has provided an alternative electric supply for residents and small businesses and replaced NYSEG as the default electric supplier. The Town has been through several contracts with different rates and suppliers over the past eight years. Throughout the duration, residents have had cost savings. To keep costs down, the Town has always opted to go with the least expensive fixed rate, the standard electric supply rate. Due to recent NYS regulations, the standard supply rate is no longer offered, leaving the higher rate options of 50% or 100% renewable rates.
More recently, under the current contract, the difference between Westchester Power's rate and NYSEG's rate has spread: Westchester Power's fixed standard rate is 11.2¢/kwh while NYSEG's trailing average is 7.8¢/kwh. This, combined with the fact that the standard rate option was no longer available, led to the Town Board's decision at the September 5th meeting to no longer continue with the program. Our obligation to the residents is to keep the cost down. Please note the following:
- The current Westchester Power contract with Direct Energy Svc as the supplier will end on November 30, 2024.
- Effective December 1, 2024, your electric supplier will revert to NYSEG with their variable rate.
- You do not need to do anything; this will automatically happen.
- NYSEG will be mailing you a notice of this change.
- You have the option of either staying with NYSEG as your electric supply provider or you may choose an alternate ESCO (Energy Services Company). You may visit the NYS Public Service Commission, Power to Choose website or the List of Energy Suppliers on the NYSEG website.
June, 2023
Westchester Power sent out a mailing to newly eligible residents. A newly eligible resident is one that opened a new NYSEG account or recently exited an ESCO contract and are now receiving the NYSEG basic supply.
October, 2023
Learn about the next electricity supply contract, effective 12/1/23. A Public Information Session will be held on November 6, 2023 at 6:30PM at the Somers Library.
May, 2023
A letter is going out from Constellation NewEnergy, Inc. to residents and small businesses in the Westchester Power program notifying them of a charge being mandated by the State and passed through onto all bills through the supply charge. The charge, 0.149 cents/kWh, will be added to the program rate on bills starting in July and continue through the end of this contract on meter reads in December.
The State is aggressively working on developing renewable energy resources and part of that plan includes increasing transmission capacity to move power to areas of high demand. This applies to all suppliers, whether ESCO or utility.
April, 2023
At the April 20, 2023 Town Board Meeting, Westchester Power presented information on the contract planning and upcoming renewal.
March, 2022
Beginning, March 1, 2022, Constellation New Energy is the new supplier for electricity under the Community Energy Program. The default rate 8.736¢ and is good through November 30, 2023. There is also a 100% renewable option and that rate is 10.179¢. You may contact Westchester Power/Sustainable Westchester at 914-242-4725 to learn more, sign up or opt out.
February 14, 2022
From November 2021 to March 2022, there will be a pause in the electricity supply program and will revert to NYSEG supply. In March 2022, the new contract will be begin. Constellation will be the new supplier at 8.736 cents per kilowatt hour. Current participants should have received this letter in January.
December 6, 2021
Sustainable Westchester will be holding 2 upcoming informational sessions regarding the Westchester Power program service pause in the NYSEG utility territory. Residents who attend will find out information to help them understand what is happening with the program, how it affects them, and answer any questions they may have.
These 1 hour sessions will be held on Wednesday, December 8, 2021 at 12pm and 6pm. The direct Zoom links are provided below.
12pm: Westchester Power Info Session#1 (Day)
ID: 86745871526
6pm: Westchester Power Info Session #2 (Evening)
ID: 88671864789
November 3, 2021
An important update from Sustainable Westchester:
The Westchester Power Community Energy Program’s electricity supply contract, serviced by Eligo Energy, is ending, and residents will be receiving automated notices from NYSEG alerting them about a switch back to the NYSEG standard electric supply. As these notices have been sent out earlier than anticipated, we want to provide clarity on the situation and what is happening.
● The current Westchester Power electricity contract, (supplied by Eligo Energy), will end by November 30, 2021
● With the approval of your municipal leadership, in order to secure the best economic value for energy in the current volatile energy market, we will be initiating a competitive bidding process.
● We anticipate reinstating the Westchester Power program in March 2022
● There will be a brief switch in your enrollment. You will be switched back to the standard NYSEG electricity supply for the intervening months starting after your last meter read before November 30th 2021.
● You will receive (or may have received) a notice in the mail (from NYSEG) alerting you to this switch.
● In January 2022, you will receive a notification letter from the Westchester Power program with the details regarding your re-enrollment to the energy supply (to start in March 2022)
If you have further questions please call Sustainable Westchester at 914-242-4725.
November 17, 2020
A Message From Sustainable Westchester
Dear Westchester Power participants:
Some program participants have started to receive “switch letters” saying they are being switched back into NYSEG. In fact, they are not being dropped out of the program, and will receive another switch letter in a few days saying that they are being enrolled with the new Westchester Power supplier, Eligo. Participants need take no action in response to these NYSEG notices.
This additional intermediate notice is occurring because of the mismatch between the previous supplier’s obligation to exit participants and the need of or the new supplier to wait until the 30-day opt out period is over to submit the new enrollments to NYSEG (who requires 5 days to complete their transaction).
Please note, those residents who did opt-out of the program will also receive the same NYSEG switch letter, but they will not be enrolled with Eligo.
We apologize for any confusion. We have made multiple requests advocating to the Department of Public service to modify the switch letter process to accommodate the way Community Choice Aggregation programs like Westchester Power work, but unfortunately this has not resulted in change as of yet. We continue to advocate for this and other changes that will improve the experience of participants in Westchester Power and other community energy programs around the State.
Dan Welsh
Program Director
Westchester Power
A Program of Sustainable Westchester
October 2020
We’re happy to announce that Somers and our neighboring towns will be renewing our participation in Sustainable Westchester’s Westchester Power (WP) program. The program has been providing residents and small businesses a clean electricity supply choice since 2016 and has mitigated over 660,000 tons of greenhouse gases. The program provides competitive fixed price electric supply and easy access to NY sourced sustainable, renewable energy.
Sustainable Westchester administered a competitive bidding process among registered New York energy suppliers and on September 28 awarded Eligo Energy the electricity supply contract for December 1, 2020, to November 30, 2021. The default supply for Somers will remain the standard supply option which is a mix of fossil fuel and renewable energy, but the program also offers a 100% renewable energy supply option. You can switch between supply options at any time.
You should have received a renewal notification letter with all program details including instructions on opting out of the program. To stay in the program, you need take no action - you will be automatically enrolled in the program on your first meter read day starting December 1.
You can find a sample letter here: https://sustainablewestchester.org/westpowernotificationsomers-notification/
The program is very different from standard ESCO offerings - you are never locked in to your choice and you can change supply options, opt-out, or opt back into the program without any costs or penalties at any time. To do so, please visit www.sustainablewestchester.org/wpor call their offices at 914-242-4725. You may also complete and mail this Opt-Out form.
Please visit the NYSEG renewal page to learn more about the renewal and the Westchester Power program: https://sustainablewestchester.org/nyseg-communities-gearing-up-for-westchester-power-program-renewal, including:
· “How to Read Your Bill” (in both English and Spanish),
· FAQs and more , which can be found here.
· Current rates and historical comparisons can be found here
· Westchester Power Executive Summary
· Westchester Power Presentation to the Town Board
4/2/20
Westchester Power Program, Town of Somers Participation
3/21/19
Statement from Supervisor Rick Morrissey
3/11/19
Westchester Power - Consumer Choice Refresher
2/21/19
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