Council discusses Community Choice Aggregation RFP; asks staff for more research and consumer protections

The Richmond Town Council reviewed a draft request for proposals (RFP) for Community Choice Aggregation (CCA)—a program that may let the town aggregate electricity purchases for residents—and asked town staff to gather more information and address consumer protections before proceeding.

Town staff presented a draft RFP modeled on another municipality's procurement document and explained a technical concept called "additionality," which would prioritize suppliers who invest in new renewable generation. "That's an important feature for their program," the consultant said, noting that pursuing additionality could require long-term contracts of up to 20 years.

Councilors focused on consumer protections and operational details. Councilor Dinsmore and others said opt-out accessibility must be simple and clear: "I want very easy, very simple opt out option," Dinsmore said, adding that residents should not face confusing notice or difficult unsubscribe processes. Councilors also asked that administrative fees embedded in kilowatt-hour charges be broken out on vendor price proposals so the town can compare total cost versus administrator fees.

Members discussed whether the procurement should be limited to New England vendors for competitiveness and how award timing would interact with any ordinance or public hearing needed to implement a CCA. Several councilors raised experiences from other towns: South Kingstown reported many citizen inquiries and opt-outs; Portsmouth had more positive feedback. Councilors repeatedly said their top priority is cost savings for residents, not additionality that could raise prices.

After discussion, the council voted to ask town staff to investigate the remaining questions and to bring the RFP and answers back to the council when ready. The motion to request additional research and report back passed on a recorded vote.