Sustainable Westchester pulling the plug on Westchester Power

**Sustainable Westchester to End Westchester Power Program**

Sustainable Westchester, the organization responsible for the Westchester Power program, is ending the initiative that has connected more than two dozen municipalities—and many of their residents and businesses—to cleaner energy. The program is set to shut down at the end of November.

**What Was Westchester Power?**

Westchester Power served as an electricity supplier for customers of Con Edison or New York State Electric and Gas (NYSEG), even though these companies continued to deliver electricity using their own distribution networks. The aggregation program specialized in providing clean, renewable energy at steady, long-term rates to tens of thousands of residents and businesses.

**Why Is the Program Ending?**

According to Sustainable Westchester, new rules implemented by New York State governing community energy programs statewide have made it difficult to continue the program. These regulations impact all Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) administrators and their energy suppliers. The organization determined that maintaining Westchester Power under the state’s new regulatory framework is not feasible.

**What Happens Next for Customers?**

Sustainable Westchester assures residential customers and small businesses within the 26 municipalities previously served by Westchester Power that there will be no disruption to their electric service. After the program ends on November 30, affected customers will automatically return to either Con Edison or NYSEG as their electric generation supplier—whichever company they used prior to joining Westchester Power—unless they have already made alternative arrangements with another electric generation provider. This change will take place in the first billing period following November 30.

**Environmental Impact**

Since its inception, the Westchester Power program has had a significant positive effect on the environment. Sustainable Westchester calculates that the program reduced greenhouse gas emissions by more than 1.5 million metric tons—the equivalent of removing 35,000 gasoline-powered cars from the road.

**Looking Ahead: Commitment to Clean Energy**

Even though the Westchester Power program is ending, Sustainable Westchester remains committed to supporting local clean energy initiatives. The organization will continue working with member municipalities to promote and expand participation in other programs such as GridRewards, Solarize, EnergySmart HOMES, Community Solar, and MOVE. Sustainable Westchester also plans to explore additional ways to increase the adoption of clean energy throughout the region.

For updates and more information, residents are encouraged to visit the Sustainable Westchester website or contact their local municipality.
https://westfaironline.com/economy/sustainable-westchester-pulling-the-plug-on-westchester-power/