Part 4. Good Energy at KEMA: Serious Savings in Illinois
This is the fourth in an eight part series looking at Charles de Casteja, Managing Partner for the New York based municipal aggregation consulting firm Good Energy, at the 2013 KEMA Conference.
Considerable savings have been realized by Illinois residents through municipal energy aggregation. By working together with consulting firm Good Energy, residents have found “the significant savings that are there,” says de Casteja. “You saw the numbers: 3.9 cents. 400,000 households are paying 3.9 cents. And most of those communities are purchasing 100% renewable through certificates.” These savings come without any changes to their existing service, billing, or daily usage.
These savings have been obtained via municipal energy aggregation. By banding together to purchase energy, residents of a community can save, as they are combining their shared energy needs. Aggregation leads to significant discounts compared to standard residential rates. Further, communities that work with Good Energy can combine the needs of their residents with the needs of residents in other communities, creating larger aggregations that command even greater reductions in rates. Throughout the aggregation process, the utility continues to deliver the power, meaning the quality of service remains unchanged. Indeed, several of the line items on the electricity bill disappear, having the effect of simplifying the bill for the average customer. Additionally, residents are offered the opportunity to opt-out of the aggregation, should they so choose.
In the event the standard utility rates drop under the contracted rates of the aggregation at any point, the supplier is given the opportunity to meet that price, or must return the customer to the utility without penalty.. Municipal energy aggregation is a great way to save money on electricity and the proof is in Illinois: 3.9 cents per kilowatt hour.
For more information on municipal energy aggregation, click here.