CCE-CouncilUpdate-Spring2022 — File 213400

somervillema.gov/ose Community Choice Electricity City Council Update Spring 2022

somervillema.gov/ose Agenda • What is Community Choice Electricity? • Program values • What is changing? • Next steps Somerville is one of 95 cities in 202 recognized for climate leadership. Announcement forthcoming.

somervillema.gov/ose What is Community Choice Electricity? Electricity supply program organized by the City of Somerville to provide residents and businesses with new, City-vetted options for electricity supply. • Launched in 2017 • Part of Somerville Climate Forward • Open to any resident and business • Anyone may leave (opt-out) at any time, without penalty Somerville is one of 95 cities in 202 recognized for climate leadership. Announcement forthcoming.

What is Community Choice Electricity? Credit: Jonas Kahn Current and projected total renewable energy through Community Choice Electricity Required by Massachusetts Voluntary from Somerville

Three ways to participate Credit: Jonas Kahn 1. 96% are enrolled in the 10% Local Green (default) option. 2. 3.8% are in the 100% Local Green option. 3. <1% are enrolled in the Somerville Basic option. Responsible for 21% of voluntary renewable energy purchased annually.

somervillema.gov/ose Program values • Keep costs stable and low for customers while providing more renewable energy than required by the Commonwealth* • Promote equity in clean energy • Source all voluntary renewable energy from • zero-carbon sources • sources that promote development of clean energy economy in our backyard *Future savings cannot be guaranteed.

somervillema.gov/ose Program values Somerville is one of 95 cities in 202 recognized for climate leadership. Announcement forthcoming. • One of the first cities to increase the additional renewable energy purchased by default rate customers from 5% to 10% • Steadily increasing the renewable energy in the default to be near 100% total by 2030 • For our next contract, we cannot increase the default to 100% renewable without compromising our values. • We will work with community groups to promote participation and 100% renewable opt-ups.

somervillema.gov/ose Program values: Keep costs stable and low for customers Somerville is one of 95 cities in 202 recognized for climate leadership. Announcement forthcoming. Between 2017- today, Somerville increased voluntary renewables from 5% to 10% while keeping costs essentially flat. CCE started at 5% voluntary renewable energy Highest Eversource residential basic service rate in 15 years CCE increased to 10% voluntary renewable energy

somervillema.gov/ose Program values: Keep costs stable and low for customers Somerville is one of 95 cities in 202 recognized for climate leadership. Announcement forthcoming.

somervillema.gov/ose Program values: Purchase only zero-carbon energy Somerville is one of 95 cities in 202 recognized for climate leadership. Announcement forthcoming. Somerville’s Class I Other communities’ Class I Source Known projects Unknown projects all from the market Location Only New England, mostly MA May include New England, Eastern Canada, and New York Generation Only wind, solar, anaerobic digestion, low-impact small hydro Includes biomass

Program values: Promote development of clean energy economy in our backyard Credit: Jonas Kahn • Annually purchasing 17.9 million kWh of voluntary renewables from within New England (Class I). • Enough to power 3,800 Somerville homes entirely on renewables. • Equivalent to output of about 4 land- based wind turbines.

somervillema.gov/ose Program values: Promote equity in clean energy • Provide residents and businesses, including renters and low-moderate income residents, with a pathway to participate in the clean energy transition • Communicate consumer education across languages • Support regional clean energy development and jobs • Support net-zero energy generation • Reduce contribution to climate change and impact on the environment from fossil fuel energy generation

What’s changing with Community Choice Electricity? Credit: Jonas Kahn • In the process of updating current contract • Goal is to maintain cost competitiveness while increasing the share of renewable energy If Somerville continues voluntarily purchasing 10% net-zero renewable energy, customers signed up for the default Local Green option will receive a total of 77% zero-carbon and state- approved renewable energy by 2030. 10% + 40% + 27% = 77%

somervillema.gov/ose Next steps Somerville is one of 95 cities in 202 recognized for climate leadership. Announcement forthcoming. • No action is required of the City Council. • We are happy to discuss further and receive feedback. • We will provide the City Council with another update later this year. • We will collaborate with the Commission on Energy Use and Climate Change on an information campaign.

somervillema.gov/ose Acknowledgements Mayor Ballantyne Commission on Energy Use and Climate Change Mayor’s Office of Intergovernmental Affairs Good Energy

somervillema.gov/ose Thank you Christine Blais Acting Director, Mayor’s Office of Sustainability and Environment City of Somerville [phone removed] cblais@somervillema.gov www.cce.somervillema.gov Larry Yu Chair, Commission on Energy Use and Climate Change City of Somerville www.somervillema.gov/ceucc