Support Protection From Third-Party Electric Suppliers In Massachusetts
 
On March 12th, the Massachusetts Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, the City of Boston Office of Environment, Energy, and Open Space, and nonprofit advocacy organizations participated in a briefing on how third-party electric suppliers harm Massachusetts residents, why the industry is past the point of reform, and how you can help support efforts to protect residential consumers. 
 
 
 
 
Participants: The Massachusetts Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, The Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General, The City of Boston Office of Environment, The City of Boston Office of Energy, The City of Boston Office of Open Space, Green Energy Consumers Alliance, The Metropolitan Area Planning Council, GreenRoots, and National Consumer Law Center
 
Read the Letter to Legislators
 
 
 
Background
 
Today, consumers in Massachusetts can elect to purchase their electric supply from their utility, their local municipal aggregation program (for the towns and cities that have them), or third-party electric suppliers. Unlike rates for basic service or municipal aggregation, third-party supplier prices are not subject to regulation. 

Right now, the Legislature is considering a bill, S.2106, An Act Relative to Electric Ratepayer Protections, to prohibit third-party suppliers from entering new contracts or renewing existing ones with individual residential electric customers. The bill does not affect the third-party market for commercial and industrial customers. Nor does it curtail municipal aggregation programs that offer residents an alternative to basic service.

The next several weeks represent a critical window for encouraging members of the House and Senate Ways and Means Committees, the Senate and House Leadership, and the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities, and Energy, to advance, and ultimately pass, S.2106 this session.
 
It is essential that they hear from local leaders, advocates, and community members from throughout the state that third-party suppliers are harming residents, and passing S.2106 is an urgent priority.
 
 
 
Resources
 
 
 
Joint Op-Ed by Mayor Wu & Attorney General Campbell — Massachusetts Should Ban Third-Party Electric Suppliers (The Boston Globe)
 
 
 
 
 
Take Action
 
Contact your representatives in the State House and let them know that passing S.2106 matters to you and your community, and it deserves urgent action this session.  
 
If you are with an organization that would like to sign onto a letter supporting An Act Relative to Electric Ratepayer Protections, please email Carrie Katan at carrie@greenenergyconsumers.org.