Good Energy at KEMA Part 4: Serious Savings in Illinois
This is the fourth in an eight part series looking at Charles de Casteja, Managing Partner for the New York based municipal aggregation consulting firm Good Energy, at the 2013 KEMA Conference.
Illinois residents have taken advantage of considerable savings through municipal energy aggregation. By teaming up with Good Energy, residents have found “the significant savings that are there,” says de Casteja. “You saw the numbers: 3.9 cents. 400,000 households are paying 3.9 cents. And most of those communities are purchasing 100% renewable through certificates.” These savings come without any changes to their existing service, billing, or daily usage.
Savings are realized through municipal energy aggregation, which takes advantage of buying in bulk. Residents of a community receive these savings by joining together to purchase energy. By combining their collective energy needs, residents can receive a substantial discount in their energy supply rate compared to standard residential rates. And by working with Good Energy, community residents can then combine their needs with the needs of other communities, creating an even larger aggregation that commands lower rates. Throughout the aggregation process, the utility continues to deliver the power, meaning the quality of service remains unchanged.
In the event the standard utility rates drop under the contracted rates of the aggregation at any point, the supplier is given the opportunity to meet that price, or must return the customer to the utility without penalty. Aggregation is a great way to save money on energy, and the proof is in Illinois: 3.9 cents per kilowatt hour.
For more information on municipal energy aggregation, click here.