The communities of Amherst, Northampton, and Pelham are developing a plan for a consumer-friendly electricity program called Valley Green Energy. The program is an electricity aggregation, which is a kind of group electricity purchasing program that will allow the communities to use our collective buying power to take a big step toward increasing the amount of renewable energy in our electricity supply.
Through the program, residents and businesses across all three communities will have new choices and greater control over the cost and environmental impact of the electricity they use. Though Valley Green Energy will not be able to guarantee savings, the communities are committed to working toward competitive and stable prices.
Learn more - For additional information, including information about how aggregation works and about the program implementation process, visit Valleygreenenergy.org
*Available in November 2024
Town of Pelham to Host In-Person Information Session for Valley Green Energy
Press Release – September 6, 2024
PELHAM, MA – The Town of Pelham invites the community to attend an information session about the new Valley Green Energy regional electricity program. During September, the communities of Amherst, Northampton, and Pelham are working together to provide public information sessions about the November launch of Valley Green Energy.
Like all similar programs throughout the state, Valley Green Energy uses an automatic enrollment model. As a result, most electricity customers in the Valley Green Energy communities will be impacted. Residents and businesses in all three communities are encouraged to attend an information session and ask questions:
Information Session 1:
Wednesday, September 25 at 7:00 – 8:00 PM
In-Person in the Ramsdell Room, Pelham Library (2 South Valley Road, Pelham, MA 01002)
Information Session 2: Amherst, Northampton, and Pelham - Community Zoom Meeting
Thursday, September 26 at 7:00 – 8:00 PM
Zoom Link: https://amherstma.zoom.us/j/81381124425
Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend. If you require an ASL interpreter, please make that request via the customer support form on ValleyGreenEnergy.org or by sending an email to support@ValleyGreenEnergy.org, and please note that an information session with
Valley Green Energy is a regional group electricity buying program developed to provide the dual benefits of cleaner electricity and stable prices to residents and businesses in all three communities. Valley Green Energy will launch in November. Program prices will be fixed until November 2026, which will provide 24 months of protection from seasonal electricity price spikes.
Participants in Valley Green Energy will automatically receive an additional 10% of their electricity from renewable sources for 13.994 ¢/kWh, a price that will be lower and more stable than both the Eversource and National Grid residential electricity supply prices in place at launch. However, because the utilities’ prices change, and future prices are unknown, future savings cannot be guaranteed.
Two additional program options will be available by request. Participants can choose to receive electricity that is 100% from renewable sources for 16.474 ¢/kWh or to receive just the minimum amount from renewable sources required by law for 13.594 ¢/kWh.
A joint effort to be administered by all three communities, Valley Green Energy received state regulatory approval in April. The program will change the electricity supply price on each participant’s electric bill, but local electric utilities will continue to handle billing, address power outages, and deliver electricity without interruption. Nearly 200 other Massachusetts communities already have similar programs, including the nearby communities of Greenfield, Hatfield, Leverett, and Northfield.
Participation in Valley Green Energy is not required. Any account holder eligible for automatic enrollment will receive a notification by mail before the program launches and will have the opportunity to opt out.
For more information, please visit the program website at ValleyGreenEnergy.org or call customer support with the program consultants at 1-844-202-6033.
Public Presentation About Valley Green Energy Community Choice Aggregation Jun 6, 2023 - YouTube