#GreeningtheGrid: June ESCO and Subscription Solar Update

Note: To power your home with renewable energy, see the most recent Subscription Community Solar update and 100% Renewable Electricity update. 

​By Gerri Wiley, HeatSmart volunteer and Energy Navigator

What’s new with Subscription Community Solar?
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• Solar Farms NY’s Dryden Farm is fully subscribed. Space is available on their other solar projects.
• Delaware River Solar reduced its discount from 10% to 5% (Current subscribers' discount remains the same.) The reason is likely that Community Choice Aggregation’s (CCA’s) upcoming opt-out community solar programs will offer DRS more than enough customers to fill its projects. You are welcome to be added to the waiting list.
• Nexamp’s project in Erin is filled. You are welcome to be added to the waiting list.
• If the solar project with which you're subscribed is open to consolidated billing, this is the month you might first experience just one bill from NYSEG without a second bill from your Community Solar company. Yay!

What’s new with 100% Renewable Electricity ESCOs?

​Let’s first talk about NYSEG’s fossil-nuclear default plan. You’ll be shocked at NYSEG’s rate listing this month that reflects May’s average price: 7.45 cents/kWh! This is 3 cents/kWh higher than NYSEG’s trailing 12-month average. Why did this occur? A major temperature spike? A sharp increase in demand? Nope. A combination of factors is speculated: the impact of retirement of the Indian Point nuclear plant driving up fossil fuel-generated electricity; the anticipated higher post-pandemic natural gas load; and anticipated higher levels of congestion with planned transmission upgrades.

Meanwhile, Energy Coop of America’s (ECA’s)100% renewable plan remains the only reasonably priced ESCO sporting no customer complaints.