Special to the Journal
Revere is developing what officials say is a consumer-friendly electricity program called ReverePower Choice. The program is an electricity aggregation, which is a group electricity purchasing program for Revere residents and businesses. Through Revere Power Choice, the City will use its collective buying power to give residents and businesses greater control over the cost and environmental impact of their electricity supply. National Grid will continue to deliver electricity to Revere without interruption and handle billing.
At Monday night’s city council meeting, Planning and Economic Development Director Tom Skwierawski presented an overview of the program to councillors and the public.
Skwierawski said that while Revere Power Choice will not be able to guarantee lower prices compared with National Grid’s electricity supply prices, the city will work toward providing prices that are competitive and stable.
“In October of 2022, this council put forward an authorization for us to initiate the process to move toward municipal aggregation,” he said. “Over about an 18-month period since then, we have been waiting out the market dynamics, but now we feel we are in a good position to move forward with a formal application to the DPU. The first step in doing that was selecting a consultant who would work with us through this pretty complicated process.”
Before launching the program, the City must develop an Aggregation Plan and submit it to state regulators for review and approval. To ensure the public has an opportunity to be a part of developing
the program, the City is making its draft Aggregation Plan available for review and comment before beginning that regulatory review process.
The draft Aggregation Plan for Revere Power Choice will be available for public review and comment from September 9 until October 9, 2024. Those interested in reviewing the Plan can download it from the City of Revere website (Revere.org) or obtain hard copies from the Department of Planning and Community Development in Revere City Hall (Mezzanine floor). Revere residents and business owners
are encouraged to review the draft Plan and submit written comments via email to Abderezak Azib ([email protected]) or via US Mail to: Revere Department of Planning and Community Development, 281 Broadway, Revere MA 02151. Comments sent by mail must be received (not postmarked) by the end of the comment period in order to be addressed.
“In short, we are really excited about the opportunity for this project to create a cost-effective energy supply for Revere residents, and if they choose to do so, also have a very green energy component for folks who want to remove their carbon footprint,” said Skwierawski.
Marlana Patton of the city’s consultant, Mass Power Choice, said Revere Power Choice is a form of group electricity buying that is a municipal alternative to the electricity marketing that residents receive in the mail and over the phone.
“There are a few key benefits for consumers in Revere,” Patton said. “New choices for the electricity supply part of your National Grid bill is one of the big benefits. This program only impacts the electricity supply part of your bill, it doesn’t impact any other part of it, but it will give you three new choices for that part of the bill.”
Patton said the program can help provide stable prices, as well as consumer protections.
Under the aggregation plan, Patton said National Grid would continue to supply electricity, but that the city would buy electricity from a supplier it chooses. Patton said residents will have the option to buy electricity from clean renewable sources, as well as to opt out of the program entirely, if they wish.
“You will not see a lot of changes as a consumer, this program will be very invisible and seamless,” Patton said. “National Grid is still going to deliver your electricity, you are still going to call National Grid if your power goes out. They are going to send your bill, you’re going to pay them however you normally pay them, and you won’t get any additional bills as a result of this program, and importantly, if you are eligible for any discounts from National Grid, like a low-income discount or fuel assistance, you will continue to get that discount with no change.”
