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Revere unveils municipal aggregation program; residents auto-enroll but can opt out
Summary
City officials and Peregrine Energy presented Revere Power Choice, a municipal aggregation program that offers three supply options (basic, greener, 100% green), price stability through Dec. 2027, and automatic enrollment for National Grid basic-service customers with an opt-out available at any time.
Revere officials and consulting firm Peregrine Energy introduced "Revere Power Choice," a municipal electricity aggregation program the city says will offer residents and businesses new supply options and price stability for the supply portion of residents' electric bills.
The city's plan, approved by the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities and implemented in partnership with supplier Direct Energy, will provide three supplier choices for enrolled customers: a low-cost default "Revere Basic," a higher-priced option with 80% renewable content (Revere Greener), and a 100% renewable option. The program's supply prices are fixed through December 2027; the council was told the default option at launch is slightly lower than National Grid's current basic-service price.
Marlana Patton of Peregrine Energy explained the program mechanics and that automatic enrollment is standard for municipal aggregation in Massachusetts: eligible accounts that are on National Grid basic service will be mailed notice and automatically enrolled in June, with the Revere Power Choice price appearing on the July bill. Customers may opt out without fee at any time.
Patton stressed the difference between National Grid (the utility that delivers electricity and bills customers) and the electricity supplier that buys power for customers. "This program is municipal in nature. It's not a private program," she said. The supplier is Direct Energy under the city's contract and handles purchases of electricity while National Grid continues to deliver power and provide outage service.
Councilors asked practical questions about low-income discounts, budget billing, contract timing for customers who already have private supplier contracts, how solar or community-solar credits are handled, and how the city will publicize enrollment and opt-out steps. Patton and city planning staff said low-income discounts and National Grid budget plans continue unchanged, customers on private contracts are not auto-enrolled but may manually enroll once their contract ends, and solar credits remain applied on the bill.
Several councilors expressed concern about the automatic-enroll model and asked for broad outreach to help residents understand how to opt out if they prefer other suppliers. City staff said they will publish materials, host public events (an outreach event was scheduled at the senior center), and provide customer support through the program vendor.
The presentation concluded with a council acknowledgement to place the materials on file and to continue public outreach ahead of the June launch.
"You're joining more than 250 other communities in the commonwealth," Patton said, adding that municipal aggregation is regulated by the Department of Public Utilities and that the program is intended to protect residents from price spikes while offering a renewable-content choice.
City staff and Peregrine urged residents who receive mailers to check for the municipal-seal notice and to contact the city or program support for help with enrollment decisions.
