Kilowatt founder pitches opt‑in AI energy‑shopping program to Burrillville council

James Grosso, founder of Kilowatt, told the Burrillville Town Council on Jan. 14 that his opt‑in, AI‑driven energy‑shopping platform automates daily market comparisons for residential and small commercial customers and is designed to “save money or do nothing.” He described Kilowatt as a “savings‑only” approach that either places consumers into a supplier contract that produces savings or returns them to the utility rate if no saving exists.

Grosso (Kilowatt) contrasted his platform with Rhode Island’s opt‑out community energy programs and alleged those programs deliver only “1 to 2%” savings and leave substantial margins to brokers or intermediaries. Council members asked about Kilowatt’s business model, oversight and customer term lengths; Grosso said suppliers license the application and that residential customers currently accept a minimum three‑month term while commercial terms can range 1–36 months. “This is a savings‑only approach,” Grosso said. “If you don't save, it doesn't buy you a contract, so you can't lose.”

Councilors raised local implementation questions, noting that roughly half of Burrillville customers are served by Clear River (the municipal utility) and would not be in Rhode Island Energy’s territory. Grosso acknowledged that and said Kilowatt is starting in Rhode Island as a test market and hopes the town will help with education and vetting. He asked the town to consider a formal endorsement or an announcement by administration and offered to meet privately with town officials and a small vetting group to demonstrate the technology.

No formal endorsement was taken at the meeting; the council agreed to provide contact information and opportunities to meet with the vendor and to consider staff review. The council’s questions focused on consumer protections, disclosure of supplier terms and who would vet the platform’s performance and regulatory compliance.