Next step taken toward implementation of Community Choice Aggregation

Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced the City of Boston will issue a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) on August 27 for submissions from consulting firms to assist the City’s development, implementation, and administration, of a municipal electricity aggregation program. Submissions to the RFQ are due on October 10, 2018.

“This is a big step toward rolling out Community Choice Aggregation because it will provide the expertise we need to get it done,” said Mayor Walsh. “We still need to make smart decisions on how to shape a program that’s best for Boston residents and can deliver on our commitment to clean energy.”

Community Choice Aggregation enables cities and towns to aggregate the buying power of individual electricity customers in their communities. Under a municipal aggregation program, cities and towns can automatically enroll residents who receive default electricity service from their utilities into a single, bulk buying group and may require a greater percentage of renewable energy content than the mandatory percentage set by the Massachusetts Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS).

“Community Choice Aggregation is an important contribution to reducing Boston's carbon emissions," said Chief of Environment, Energy and Open Space Chris Cook. "We're excited to move ahead with the process and develop a program that can benefit the environment and most importantly our residents."

The City is required to follow the steps toward a municipal aggregation as laid out by the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER), working in consultation with DOER and the selected consultant to prepare a plan and provide an opportunity for citizen review. In addition, the City will convene a community advisory committee which will inform the proposed plan and guide implementation. Once the program is approved by the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities, the City will be able to begin implementation of the program.

Earlier this year, the City’s Environment Department issued a Request for Information (RFI) on how to develop and manage a municipal electricity aggregation program. The information obtained will continue to inform the development of the program. Mayor Walsh invested in the implementation of Community Choice Aggregation in the City’s Fiscal Year 2019 (FY19) budget.

Boston is taking bold action on climate to become a carbon neutral, climate ready city as outlined in its updated Climate Action Plan. Boston’s Climate Action Plan serves as Boston’s roadmap for reaching its goals of reducing carbon emissions and preparing for the impacts of climate change. The goals are supported by Imagine Boston 2030, the first citywide plan in 50 years, that helps to ensure that climate plays a role in aspects of city planning.

The city’s current climate initiatives are laying the groundwork to advance its climate goals and to accelerate progress. Carbon Free Boston is analyzing the options and pathways to achieve deep decarbonization. The initiative is weighing the costs and benefits of technologies and policies across key action areas including electric power, buildings, transportation, and waste. As part of this effort, Zero Waste Boston is exploring pathways to turn Boston into a zero waste city through planning, policy, and community engagement.

Climate Ready Boston is strengthening Boston’s climate change resilience with near- and long-term planning. It is actively advancing Boston’s vision of a resilient city through a comprehensive citywide vulnerability study, a community outreach program, and neighborhood-level implementation projects, including the installation of a flood wall in one of Boston’s most flood-prone neighborhood.

Earlier this summer, Mayor Walsh hosted the International Mayors Climate Summit in Boston for mayors from across the country and around the world to discuss actions taken by cities to address climate change. At the Summit, Mayor Walsh announced a new multi-city initiative that could lead to the development of large-scale renewable energy projects. Through the new initiative, the City recently called on developers to share information about projects that would support the energy demand of 20 U.S. cities, totaling nearly 5.7 terawatt-hours.