Community Choice Aggregation (CCA)


The Town of East Hampton is considering to establish a Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) program to procure electricity (and/or natural gas) on behalf of residents and businesses. The delivery of power and maintenance of infrastructure would remain with the current utility. CCA is one of several available options to empower our community to decide where the energy we purchase comes from.

After conducting extensive community outreach and holding several meeting presentations, the Town Board adopted CCA enabling legislation on November 11, 2020 by L.L. No. 7-2020.

What is Community Choice Aggregation?

CCA is a program that allows local governments (cities, towns, villages) to procure power on behalf of their residents, businesses, and municipal accounts from a provider other than the utility’s default provider while still receiving transmission and distribution service from the existing utility. CCAs are an attractive option for communities that want more local control over their electricity sources and more green power than is offered by the default utility. By aggregating demand, communities gain leverage to choose greener power sources and potentially negotiate better rates with competitive suppliers. CCAs are currently authorized in California, Illinois, Ohio, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Virginia. 80 municipalities in New York State have adopted CCA enabling legislation and more than 60 of them are already offering alternative energy to their constituents.

CCA diagram current procurement model
Current Energy Procurement Model: the utility company purchases energy, delivers it, and bills customers for energy supply and delivery.
CCA Model: energy supply is purchased through the CCA, and delivered to customers by the existing utility. Customers are billed for energy supply and delivery.

How do CCAs work?

Local government must hold public hearings and pass a law authorizing the CCA. Depending on state and local government regulations, all homes, businesses, and municipal sites in that jurisdiction may be eligible to participate in the CCA.

Participation in CCAs is always voluntary. Most CCAs have opt-out provisions, meaning when a community begins a program, customers are given advanced notice and have the choice to opt-out of the CCA program and continue to receive service from their current supplier. Customers that do not opt-out are automatically enrolled in the program.

Advantages of CCA

  • Enables faster shift to renewable power
  • Local control of electricity generation, which can be more responsive to local economic and environmental goals
  • Can offer savings through energy-efficiency, smart energy management, and bulk purchase programs for solar, battery storage, and electric vehicles
  • Expands consumer choices
  • Potential retail electric rate stabilization or reduction
  • Can spur local jobs and renewable energy development

Who can participate in CCA?

All customers with PSEG-LI electric service (and, if the CCA offers natural gas, all National Grid customers) within the jurisdiction of the Town of East Hampton would be able to participate. Some commercial and industrial customers may have to opt-in rather than being included on an opt-out basis.

Why CCA?

“CCA programs can result in more attractive energy supply terms than can be obtained by individual customers……CCA programs can educate, encourage, and empower communities and individuals to take control of their energy future. ”      – NYS Public Service  Commission

“In 2015, Sustainable Westchester obtained approval for the first [CCA] program to be established under Governor Cuomo’s Reforming the Energy Vision (REV) plan. The creation of Westchester Power gave participating municipalities the ability to pool their resources to purchase energy at less expensive rates, and to choose power from 100% clean, renewable sources.”       Sustainable Westchester

“Initiated by the non-profit Sustainable Westchester in 2016, the Westchester Power CCA supplies approximately 115,000 electrical customers in 27 participating municipalities in Westchester County.  24 municipalities opted to provide 100% renewable energy to eligible customers within their jurisdictions.”                    -New York State Energy Research & Development Authority  (NYSERDA)

Town of East Hampton CCA Presentations 

September 17, 2020 – East Hampton Town Board held a second public hearing on CCA authorizing legislation. Watch a recording of the public hearing here (public hearing begins at the 2 min. 55 sec. mark). A copy of the legislation can be obtained at the Town Clerk’s office and a transcript of the public hearing is available on the Town website.

September 15, 2020 – Click here to watch the Town Board work session presentation on CCA and LIPA power supply charges (presentation begins at the 1 hr. 33 min. 30 sec. mark). Presentation slides can also be viewed here.

August 17, 2020 – A one-hour informational webinar on CCA followed by Q&A was held by the Town of East Hampton with Renewable Energy Long Island, featuring guest speakers Brad Tito from New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), Justin Bell from Long Island Power Authority (LIPA), and Dan Welsh from Sustainable Westchester.

For more on the above webinar, including slide decks and Q&A, visit our Outreach & Events page.

June 4, 2020 – East Hampton held its first public hearing on CCA authorizing legislation.  Watch the public hearing held during the Town Board meeting here (public hearing begins at the 7 min. 32 sec. mark). A copy of the legislation can be obtained at the Town Clerk’s office and a transcript of the public hearing is available on the Town website. Presentation slides are also available to view here.

April 14, 2020 – Town Board work session presentation on CCA. Presentation slides can be downloaded here (pdf). Video recording of the work session presentation can also be viewed here (presentation begins at the 18 min 25 sec mark).

September 10 & 16, 2019 Public Information Forums on CCA held both evenings at 6 pm at Town Hall.  You can download the presentation or watch the entire video as recorded by LTV here.

More information

East Hampton CCA brochure [PDF]
Download this printable tri-fold brochure from the Town of East Hampton which explains the basics of Community Choice Aggregation.

Fact Sheet [PDF]
This one-page NYSERDA fact sheet provides a brief description of the Community Choice Aggregation action along with the benefits communities can expect to achieve.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (pdf) 
This NYSERDA document provides answers to commonly asked questions pertaining to CCA in New York State.

NYSERDA Step-by-Step Guidance [pdf]
The slide presentation provides an overview of the Clean Energy Communities Program as well as a detailed description and step-by-step guidance for implementing CCA action.

NYSERDA CCA on Long Island presentation (pdf) by Brad Tito before the Suffolk County CCA Task Force 9/25/2019.

Westchester Power has an electric rate comparison of their CCA customers’ vs ConEd and NYSEG rates over the last few years here.

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