Published in March, 2023, a study by the University of Massachusetts Amherst Sustainable Policy Lab finds community choice energy aggregation programs have reduced costs, increased sustainability. Most notable study results include 80% of municipalities with CCA programs achieved reduced rates; 89% of municipalities with contracts exceeding state renewable energy level requirements achieved savings of approximately $33,500,000 per year. Access to the full study can be found HERE.

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A bill introduced in early 2023 sponsored by Senator Crighton and Representative Moran: SD648 / HD3214,  An Act relative to electric ratepayer protections would ban third party power suppliers from signing up new individual residential customers in Massachusetts. According to a report out in May, 2023 authored by Attorney General, Andrea Campbell, shows that over a six year period, (from July 2015 to June 2021), consumers paid $525 million more than if they had received supply from their utility, and that the approximately 430,000 residential customers who are enrolled with third party suppliers lose an average of $231 per year. Evidence also shows low-income customers and people of color are more likely to be pulled in to these programs than the overall population.

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Despite over 170 programs active in the state, the DPU is dragging its feet in reviewing and approving new or updated programs; as of April, 2023, over 20 communities have been waiting, some for over 2 years. A new bill introduced in April, 2023 from Rep. Tommy Vitolo of Brookline and Sen. Jason Lewis of Winchester will set a 90 day deadline for the DPU to review and plan amendments. Two of the three DPU commissioners have also recently been replaced, shedding new hope that the current administration will be more supportive of CCA.

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Rising electricity prices due to several factors are affecting Massachusetts residents and businesses, much the same as everyone across the country. For those communities that have Community Choice Energy programs with energy contracts extending into late 2023 and early 2024, they will be protected by the rise in winter rates from the state's IOUs. For example, Medford's program will be about half the price of National Grid's winter price, which went into effect on November 1, 2022. See article HERE. 

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State Rep. Michael Kushmerek, D-Fitchburg, and state Sen. John Cronin, D-Leominster, filed legislation in the 2021/2022 session to make it easier for cities and towns to form utilities. The bill stalled in the Senate, and has been introduced numerous times over the last two decades.

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A report on Green Municipal Aggregation from the Green Energy Consumer Alliance can be found here. According to their analysis, in 2022 the aggregation programs in Massachusetts will add well over 500,000 megawatt-hours per year of demand or Class I renewable energy. Several aggregations are adding five percent Class I green power, but increasingly aggregations are coming in at ten percent additional Class I green power or more. If the trend towards high percentages is sustained, it's possible to see 700,000 megawatt-hours per year of additional renewable energy attributable to municipal aggregation by 2022.

The map below from the report shows the state of GMA in Massachusetts as levels of additional Class 1 content.