BOSTON, MA – This week the Boston City Council will take up a proposal for Community Choice Energy, which would add more renewable power to the electricity without raising bills, and encourage the energy industry to build more solar and wind farms.
Cities around Boston are doing it successfully and most members of the city council favors that program. The Green Justice Coalition (GJC) that is working towards a clean energy transition where communities of color and low-income communities are at the center will be testifying about the importance of Boston ensuring that all residents regardless of income have access to the clean energy.
Using Community Choice Energy, also known as municipal aggregation, the city has the opportunity to increase Boston’s clean energy portfolio by 5% and help Boston reach its goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25% by 2020. Boston can come together with the power of bulk purchasing to buy more renewable electricity without increasing costs to businesses and residents. It is an easy and effective way to dramatically increase renewable energy use in Boston.
A report investigating the potential of Community Choice Energy (CCE), also known as “Green municipal aggregation,” for the City of Boston will be released by the Applied Economics Clinic (AEC) in advance of a Tuesday Boston City Council hearing on the topic. AEC provides technical expertise to public service organizations and is housed at Tufts University’s Global Development and Environment Institute.
Boston Mayor Marty Walsh and the Boston City Council have an opportunity to increase renewable energy and stabilize electric bills by purchasing electricity for Boston residents and small businesses. Climate change makes this action urgent. By bulk-purchasing renewable power, we can help drive the market for clean energy and improve quality of life for Boston residents.
WHO: Kalila Barnett; Michael Prokosch, Board Member, Boston Climate Action Network; Adam Chapdelaine, Town Manager, Town of Arlington; Dr. Elizabeth Stanton, Senior Research Fellow, Applied Economics Clinic, Tufts University
WHAT: Boston City Council Hearing on Community Choice Energy
WHEN: October 3rd, 2017, 2pm
WHERE: Winter Chamber, 26 Court Street, Boston, MA 02108.
