Hadley’s electricity program to run through 2024

HADLEY — An electricity aggregation program that gives residents the option to select their electricity supplier, and to choose energy that is coming from entirely green sources, is continuing through December 2024.

This month, residents are receiving letters from the Hadley Community Electricity Program notifying them that the Community Electricity Aggregation program, or CEA, remains in place, as well as the process for opting out.

First launched in August 2019, the standard product in the program is called Hadley Basic, which all participants receive unless they choose the higher priced 100% renewable energy product known as Hadley 100% Green.

Under Hadley Basic, customers are charged 0.1047 cents per kilowatt hour. With 100% Green, customers are paying 0.1436 cents per kilowatt hour. Both are lower than the 0.1573 cents per kilowatt hour currently being charged for Eversource Basic, though Eversource revises its rates every six months. Still, the average resident has seen reduced electricity costs through the program.

In a statement, Town Administrator Carolyn Brennan said that the Hadley Basic and Hadley 100% Green prices are secured for 37 months.

“We are looking forward to the program continuing to provide benefits to our community for years to come,” Brennan said.

Hadley Community Electricity Aggregation offers town-vetted options for electricity supply. The green options contain additional renewable energy credits, or RECs, above what is required by state law. Those additional RECs qualify for the “MA Class I” designation from generation located either within New England or delivered to the six states.

Eversource continues to be the electric utility in Hadley, delivering electricity, repairing any outages and handling billing. This month the supplier is changing from Direct Energy to Constellation New Energy.

The Hadley aggregation program is part of a larger movement in Massachusetts to provide more local control and electricity choices to residents and small businesses. More than 160 cities and towns in the state have an electricity aggregation program. More information can be found online at hadleycea.com.