Benefits of Community Choice Energy for the City of Chelsea

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Client: GreenRoots

Authors: Bryndis Woods, PhD, and Sagal Alisalad

September 2020

This Applied Economics Clinic policy brief—prepared on behalf of GreenRoots, a Chelsea-based organization working to achieve environmental justice—presents ways in which Community Choice Energy (CCE) programs can provide important benefits for vulnerable communities, including better community control and participation in energy choices, protection from predatory suppliers, more renewable content, and lower costs than Eversource and National Grid’s basic electric service rates.

Cost and Emission Impacts of Community Choice Energy: Renewable Energy Options for the City of Chelsea

Client: GreenRoots

Authors: Bryndis Woods, Sagal Alisalad, and Hannah Brown

November 2019

Researcher Bryndis Woods, Assistant Researcher Sagal Alisalad, and Research Assistant Hannah Brown present the cost and emission savings of different designs for Community Choice Energy (CCE) programs in the City of Chelsea, Massachusetts as compared to electricity purchased from the default utility. This policy brief concludes that all types of CCE programs save residents money on their electric bills, and that Chelsea has the potential to reduce its emissions by an additional 34 percent by 2030 if it chooses to pursue a CCE program that mandates 25 percent more renewable energy than Massachusetts law.

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Emission Reduction Synergies for Massachusetts Community Choice Energy Programs, Heat Pumps and Electric Vehicles

Client: Green Energy Consumers Alliance (GECA)

Authors: Bryndis Woods, Liz Stanton, PhD, Tyler Comings and Eliandro Tavares

August 2019

Researcher Bryndis Woods, Clinic Director and Senior Economist Liz Stanton, PhD, Senior Researcher Tyler Comings and Assistant Researcher Eliandro Tavares prepared a policy brief that estimates the greenhouse gas emissions reduction impact from an electric heat pump or electric vehicle of a typical Massachusetts household enrolled in a Community Choice Energy (CCE) program. We find that Massachusetts households that have an electric heat pump or electric vehicle—as opposed to natural gas heating and electric A/C or a gas vehicle—and are enrolled in a CCE program with 5 percent additional renewable supply than mandated by state law reduce their emissions by 69 and 74 percent, respectively, in 2030.

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Updated Costs of Community Choice Energy Aggregation in Boston

Client: Barr Foundation

Authors: Tyler Comings, Bryndis Woods and Myisha Majumder

February 2019

On behalf of the Barr Foundation, Senior Researcher Tyler Comings, Researcher Bryndis Woods, and Research Assistant Myisha Majumder prepared a policy brief with updated electric CCE and basic service rates for towns in Massachusetts with similar CCE programs to what has been proposed in Boston.

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The ABCs of Boston CCE

Client: Barr Foundation

Tyler Comings, Liz Stanton, PhD, and Bryndis Woods

March 2018

On behalf of the Barr Foundation, Senior Researcher Tyler Comings, Clinic Director and Senior Economist Liz Stanton, PhD, and Researcher Bryndis Woods prepared a series of four policy briefs related to Boston's new Community Choice Energy Aggregation (CCE) program:

Boston CCE and Electric Costs: Describes the expected impact of Boston's new CCE program on electric customer costs.

Boston CCE and Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Describes the greenhouse gas emission reductions expected to result from Boston's new CCE program.

Boston CCE and State Clean Energy Laws: Provides a comparison of Boston CCE, the Massachusetts Renewable Portfolio Standard, and the Massachusetts Clean Energy Standard.

Sourcing Green Energy for CCE Programs: Provides an overview of current CCE programs in Massachusetts and around the United States including a discussion of the different methods used to source their green energy.

These policy briefs are part of a series of AEC publications funded Barr Foundation examining how community choice energy (CCE) aggregation programs work and addressing commonly asked questions about Boston's proposed CCE program.

An Analysis of Community Choice Energy for Boston

Client: Barr Foundation

September 2017

Tyler Comings, Liz Stanton, PhD and Bryndis Woods

On behalf of the Barr Foundation, Senior Researcher Tyler Comings, Clinic Director and Senior Economist Liz Stanton, PhD, and Researcher Bryndis Woods prepared an Applied Economics Clinic (AEC) report and policy brief to examine how Community Choice Energy (CCE) programs work. The report and policy brief also addressed commonly asked questions in order to inform efforts in the City of Boston to understand the implications of CCE programs, including the program’s costs to residents and businesses, impacts on renewable energy, and contributions to the City’s climate goal. Dr. Stanton presented the findings at the October 3, 2017 meeting of the Boston City Council. At the same meeting, the City Council voted unanimously to approve the Community Choice Energy resolution. In November, AEC updated the findings with a one-pager document that shows that the average household participating in a CCE program will increase their savings, relative to their default utility service, from 2 percent in 2017 to 19 percent in 2018.

This report and policy brief are part of a series of AEC publications funded Barr Foundation examining how community choice energy (CCE) aggregation programs work and addressing commonly asked questions about Boston's proposed CCE program.

November 2017 Update

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Link to Dr. Stanton's remarks to Boston City Council

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