Brookhaven Community Energy Program To Launch In May

FARMINGVILLE, NY — Brookhaven's Community Choice Aggregation energy program, offering an energy option over the utility’s default service rate for the natural gas supply portion of home and business owners' bills, allowing the town to buy natural gas on their behalf, will launch in May.

A letter will be sent to households and small businesses that use natural gas explaining the details of the program, which was created back in October.

The CCA Energy program was created by the state's Public Service Commission in April 2016.

Administered by Good Energy LP, Brookhaven's CCA energy program works similar to a bulk purchasing agreement, with the town purchasing a large amount of energy for a pool of residents and small businesses.

It allows the town to take advantage of more competitive rates from energy suppliers for residents participating in the CCA, which results in lower gas and/or electric bills. Residents are not required to be part of the CCA, do not have to sign a contract to join, and can leave the program at any time without early termination or exit fees.

No taxpayer or public funding is used to run the program.

Over 100 other state municipalities have established a CCA program, including the villages of Lynbrook and Bellerose, as well as the towns of Plattsburgh, New Baltimore, Cicero, and Wesley Hill.

Supervisor Ed Romaine said that "the high cost of energy continues to rise, making it difficult for many families and small businesses to keep up."

"By creating a Community Choice Aggregation energy program, the Town is able to help cut their energy costs and keep more money in their pockets, he said. "I encourage every natural gas consumer to learn more about this money-saving natural gas program.”

Javier Barrios, managing partner of Good Energy, said, "combining the natural gas usage of residents and small businesses the town’s CCA program creates enormous buying power allowing the community to find a competitive fixed price that offers protection against volatile energy markets."

Barrios was a guest of Romaine on Brookhaven's Coffee with the Supervisor television program on Channel 18.

The segment can be viewed at www.BrookhavenNY.gov; YouTube; and Facebook at Town of Brookhaven.

For more information about the CCA energy program, including a complete list of participating municipalities, go to www.GoodEnergy.com.