Electric Plan Moves Forward

Electric Plan Moves Forward
Rate relief in sight for this winter
Damien Fisher
News Staff Writer

WINCHENDON — Residents will be able to start saving money on electricity on Dec. 1 with the new community aggregation plan, recently approved by the state.

Acting Town Manager Bernie Lynch said this week that the state approved the plan for Winchendon and Constellation Energy sooner than expected, and bids were received for the town’s energy needs. The bid on electricity came in at a little more than 9 cents per kilowatt hour, compared to the National Grid rate of close to 14 cents per kilowatt hour.

“It will allow residents to save some money this winter,” Mr. Lynch said.

Last month, Mark Cap­padona with Colonial Power told selectmen that the necessary order from Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities could be as many as 18 months out because to backlogs in the system. That turned out not to be the case, and the town will move forward with the plan.

Voters approved a plan to enter into an electrical aggregation program last year, and Colonial Power is the consultant working with the town.

The aggregation plan will automatically opt-in all Winchendon residents who are on a basic electric utility plan with National Grid, or about 95 percent of the residents.

Any resident who does not want to be in the community aggregation plan can always opt out without a fee or penalty, and later opt in if they decide it is a better fit. Mr. Cappadona said that there will also be no fee or penalty for those opting back into the plan.

Mr. Lynch said residents may want to opt out in the spring, when the rates are expected to go up for the aggregation plan. It is possible that come April or May that the National Grid basic plan will offer a lower rate than the community aggregation plan, he said. In the meantime, residents should be able to get some relief this winter on their utility bills.