Town hears Westchester Power presentation; residents press questions on opt-out and pricing

Sustainable Westchester representatives briefed the Greenburgh Town Board on the Westchester Power community choice aggregation program and answered residents’ questions about enrollment, opt-out rules and cost comparisons.

Dan Welch, who introduced himself as a representative of Sustainable Westchester, said the program is an opt-out municipal supplier intended to increase renewable energy purchasing and provide fixed-rate supply options. He said Greenburgh selected a 50 percent renewable product as the town default, with a 100 percent renewable option available to households that call or sign up online. “I’m Dan Welch. I’m with Sustainable Westchester,” he said, adding that the administrative fee in the program is 0.175¢ per kilowatt-hour and that the supplier contract term in this rollout is 13 months.

Welch gave enrollment mechanics and timing: notices were mailed in a standard Department of Public Service format, a 30‑day initial opt-out window ran from Oct. 11 to Nov. 10 for this batch, and newly eligible customers’ enrollment begins on each household’s meter‑read date (for many that means service starts the following billing cycle). He said opting out remains available at any time but that the change typically takes one billing cycle to appear on bills.

Board members and residents asked whether the program consistently saves money. Welch cautioned there is no guaranteed savings because utility rates fluctuate; he said the 50 percent product was being offered at roughly 12.1–12.2¢ per kWh in the materials presented and that Con Edison’s current month looked closer to 11¢ per kWh. “It doesn’t mean we’re guaranteeing savings, but at least you know what your costs are going to be,” Welch said.

Residents pressed for participation numbers and transparency about the price spread between the winning ESCO and what the ESCO pays; Welch said Sustainable Westchester administers the bidding and receives only the stated administrative fee, and that margins for suppliers are a result of their bids. He also noted potential state incentives, saying Greenburgh’s participation could make the town eligible for additional Clean Energy Communities grant points and cited a possible $150,000 grant opportunity tied to meeting program milestones.

The presentation stressed outreach plans, including Spanish-language events and community information sessions. Welch encouraged residents to review the mailed materials and the program website to opt up to 100 percent renewable or to opt out.

The board did not take an immediate vote on program adoption at this meeting; the presentation and the public Q&A served as informational outreach and prompted suggestions to hold a dedicated workshop or Q&A session to go deeper into pricing and procurement details.