[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Village
of Larchmont 10-19-2015 by L.L.
No. 4-2015; amended in its entirety by 9-19-2022 by L.L. No. 2-2022. Subsequent amendments noted where applicable.]
A.Â
It is the policy of both the Village of Larchmont and the State of
New York to reduce costs and provide cost certainty for the purpose
of economic development, to promote deeper penetration of energy efficiency
and renewable energy resources, such as wind and solar, and wider
deployment of distributed energy resources, as well as to examine
the retail energy markets and increase participation of and benefits
for eligible customers in those markets. Among the policies and models
that may offer benefits in New York is community choice aggregation
("CCA"), which allows local governments to procure electric and natural
gas supply on behalf of its eligible customers.
B.Â
The purpose of this CCA Program is to allow participating local governments,
including the Village of Larchmont, to procure Energy Services, such
as energy supply service and community distributed generation (CDG)
credits, for their eligible customers, who will have the opportunity
to opt-out of the procurement, while maintaining transmission and
distribution service from the existing distribution utility. This
chapter establishes a program that will allow the Village of Larchmont
to put out Energy Services for bid. Eligible customers will have the
opportunity to have more control to lower their overall energy costs,
to spur clean energy innovation and investment, to improve customer
choice and value, and to protect the environment thereby, fulfilling
the purposes of this chapter and fulfilling an important public purpose.
C.Â
The Village of Larchmont is authorized to implement this Community
Choice Aggregation (Energy) Program pursuant to § 10 Subdivision
(1)(ii)(a)(12) of the New York Municipal Home Rule Law; and State
of New York Public Service Commission Case No. 14-M-0224, Proceeding
on Motion of the Commission to Enable Community Choice Aggregation
Programs (issued April 20, 2016, hereinafter the CCA Framework Order).
D.Â
This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the "Community Choice
Aggregation (Energy) Program."
For purposes of this chapter, and unless otherwise expressly
stated or unless the context otherwise requires, the terms in this
chapter shall have the meanings set forth below, or if not so defined,
as employed in the State of New York Public Service Commission's
Uniform Business Practices:
A municipal energy procurement program that replaces the
incumbent utility as the default electric and/or gas supplier for
all opt-out eligible customers within the Village. CCA Program may
include community distributed generation credits on an opt-out basis
and other DER offerings on an opt-in basis.
Community shared renewables program expanding customer access
to the environmental and system benefits of qualifying renewable project
generation located behind a nonresidential host meter based on remotely
sharing net metering or VDER monetary credits through a monetary credit
applied to the utility bills of participating customers.
The monetary credit applied to the utility bills of participating
customers through the CDG program.
Utility data for all opt-out eligible customers, including
account holder name, service address, primary language, if available,
any customer-specific alternate billing name and/or address, and other
relevant, authorized data.
ELIGIBLE CUSTOMERSCustomers of electricity and/or natural gas eligible to participate in CCA, either on an opt-out or opt-in basis, as delineated in the CCA Framework Order.
OPT-OUT ELIGIBLE CUSTOMERSEligible customers that are eligible for opt-out treatment as delineated in the CCA Framework Order.
PARTICIPATING CUSTOMERSOpt-out eligible customers who have been enrolled subsequent to the opt-out process and other customers who have opted in.
Reforming the Energy Vision (REV) initiatives that further
engage and/or reduce cost of service for participating consumers,
optimize system benefits, and/or address infrastructure and demand
challenges within the geography of the CCA, including, but not limited
to, local renewable energy projects, community distributed generation,
peak demand management, energy efficiency, demand response, energy
storage, community resilience microgrid projects, and other innovative
initiatives.
Owner or controller of the means of distribution of the natural
gas or electricity that is regulated by the Public Service Commission.
The provision of energy supply as electric power and/or natural
gas or the provision of DER offerings.
New York State Public Service Commission.
Energy service companies (ESCOs) and/or DER providers and/or
other entities with authority to provide Energy Services for participating
customers in connection with this chapter.
A not-for-profit organization comprised of member municipalities
in Westchester County, New York.
REV proceeding (Case 15-E-0751) that replaces the net metering
program with a weighted value stack tariff mechanism for accurately
pricing distributed energy resources on the grid as a reflection of
their system value. Value stack components include the price of energy,
capacity, avoided carbon emissions, cost savings to customers and
utilities, demand reduction and locational relief. The goal of this
proceeding is to increase DER penetration and benefits of DER installations.
A.Â
A Community Choice Aggregation (Energy) Program is hereby established
by the Board of Trustees, whereby the Village shall work together
with Sustainable Westchester to implement the CCA Program to the full
extent permitted by the CCA Framework Order, as set forth more fully
herein. The Village's role under the CCA Program involves the
aggregating of the demand for energy of its eligible customers and
the entering into contracts for Energy Services. Under the CCA Program,
the operation and ownership of the utility service shall remain with
the distribution utility.
B.Â
The Village's participation in a CCA Program constitutes neither
the purchase of a public utility system nor the furnishing of utility
service. The Village will not take over any part of the electric or
gas transmission or distribution system and will not furnish any type
of utility service but will instead negotiate with suppliers on behalf
of participating customers.
C.Â
In order to implement the CCA Program, the Village will adopt one
or more resolutions that outline the process of and conditions for
participation in the CCA Program, including, but not limited to, signing
a contract for a compliant bid with one or more suppliers, all as
consistent with the local law and the CCA Framework Order.
D.Â
The Public Service Commission supervises retail markets and participants
in these markets through legislative and regulatory authority and
the Uniform Business Practices, which includes rules relating to the
eligibility of participating suppliers, the operation by which suppliers
provide Energy Services and the terms on which customers may be enrolled
with suppliers.
A.Â
As permitted by the CCA Framework Order, the Village may request
from the distribution utilities aggregated customer information by
fuel type a service classification and other relevant, authorized
data.
B.Â
Sustainable Westchester, on behalf of the Village of Larchmont, shall
issue one or more requests for proposals to suppliers to provide energy
to participants and may then award one or more contracts in accordance
with the CCA Program.
C.Â
Sustainable Westchester or the Village of Larchmont if the Village
of Larchmont so chooses, will then request customer-specific data
from the distribution utility in accordance with the CCA Program.
D.Â
Sustainable Westchester or the Village, if the Village so chooses,
and the selected supplier(s) will then notify opt-out eligible customers
of the contract terms and opportunity to opt-out of the CCA Program
energy supply and/or CDG.
E.Â
In accordance with and for purposes of the CCA Framework Order, the
distribution utility will provide to Sustainable Westchester customer-specific
data (including usage data, capacity tag obligations, account numbers,
and service addresses) of all eligible customers in the Village.
A.Â
The Village of Larchmont will notify, or will cause notification
of, its opt-out eligible customers by letter notice, of the Village
of Larchmont establishing the CCA Program, of the contract terms with
an the supplier, and of the opportunity to opt-out of the CCA Program
offerings.
B.Â
The letter notice will be sent to each opt-out eligible customer
at the address provided by the distribution utility explain the CCA
Program and the material provisions of the supplier contract, identify
the methods by which the customer can opt-out of the CCA Program,
and provide information on how the customer can access additional
information about the CCA Program.
C.Â
The opt-out period shall be at least 30 Days.
A.Â
Sustainable Westchester shall be responsible for filing an annual
report with the Public Service Commission, as required in the CCA
Framework Order.