Residents get green choice

lowell » Thanks to organizing from local grassroots organizations, both Chelmsford and Westford are in the process of rolling out more climate-friendly municipal energy programs. Westford’s new plan will take effect in January 2021, while Chelmsford’s plan has been in effect since November.

“The most powerful thing that you can do as an all-grassroots organization in your town is to look at your aggregation contract and increase the renewables,” said Beth Perkins, cochair of Westford Climate Action, the newly formed grassroots organization that was instrumental to Westford’s new aggregation contract.

Municipal energy aggregation programs, in which cities and towns bulk purchase electricity plans for their residents, have gained popularity across Massachusetts in recent years because they offer residents a cheaper, more consistent energy bill. Westford, which began its aggregation program in 2016, currently offers only one municipal energy option with 16% renewable energy. This is the minimum percentage of renewable energy mandated by the state.

After Westford Climate Action successfully lobbied the Select Board to diversify its clean energy options ahead of its 2021 contract renewal, the Board agreed to add three new options in addition to the state-mandated minimum plan, at 10.47¢/KWH (cent per kilowatt hour): the “Green” default plan, at 10% more than the state minimum, costs 10.79¢/ KWH; the “Silver” plan, at 50% more than the minimum, costs 12.08¢/KWH; and the “Gold” plan, at 100% more than the minimum, costs 13.66¢/KWH. This contract will remain in effect until December 2023.

“A number of towns have gone for like 5% additional renewable energy, so I do think it’s significant that we went up to 10% additional renewable energy for our default,” said chair of the Westford Energy Committee Mike Berlinski.

Although 10% above the state