• By Matt Petry | mpetry@northofboston.com
AMESBURY — Saving residents money on their electricity bills took a big step forward after the city announced it has signed a contract with a power supplier for its community choice power supply program aggregation plan.
City Councilor Anthony Rinaldi made the announcement during Tuesday night’s City Council meeting.
Rinaldi provided the update as part of his recap of the Amesbury Energy Committee’s most recent meeting on July 13.
“We’ve contracted with a power supplier for aggregated power at some interesting prices,” Rinaldi said.
On Wednesday, Rinaldi said the power supplier the city has gone with is First Point Power based out of Cranston, R.I, signing a 24-month contract. While not yet able to share the pricing specifics, Rinaldi assured customers they will be saving money.
“It’s below the National Grid number,” Rinaldi said.
Speaking during Tuesday night’s meeting, Rinaldi explained how this program will be rolled out.
“All this information will be put out in August and anybody who’s eligible to be in the power plan will be getting a flyer in the mail which will describe what you have to do or what you don’t have to do if you’re eligible. You’re eligible if you’re connected to National Grid,” Rinaldi said.
The contract will go into effect Oct. 1.
“So folks will see the change in their October bills,” Rinaldi said.
In the interim, the city will be hosting information meetings so customers have all the facts before the program kicks off.
“We will be announcing them through the city website and through Facebook and all the other communications that we do when we get them scheduled. We have not got them scheduled yet. We expect to have them scheduled at the beginning of September,” Rinaldi said.
Amesbury joins Salisbury and Newburyport as area communities that have signed power aggregation deals.
In May 2022, Salisbury Town Manager Neil Harrington signed a three-year renewal agreement with First Point Power through January 2025 to obtain electricity for Salisbury at a fixed rate of 11.134 cents per kilowatt hour for all residential and business customers of National Grid.
Newburyport signed a new 24-month contract with electricity supplier Constellation New Energy which took effect in November, locking in a rate of 14.809 cents per kilowatt hour for the next two years, giving participants stability and protection from market volatility, according to officials.
Newburyport launched its electricity program in January 2023 in an effort to develop an energy program that would be stable and affordable. From inception through May 2023, the program has saved residents and small businesses over $2.2 million in electricity costs as compared to National Grid Basic Service.
As of Wednesday, the current rates for National Grid Basic Service are 18.213 cents per kilowatt hour for residential service, and 17.262 cents per kilowatt hour for commercial customers. Rates will change in August.
During Tuesday’s meeting councilors also heard from Our Neighbors’ Table Communications Director Will Courtney, who discussed the ongoing renovations to the nonprofit’s Amesbury market.
“It is currently under renovation and will reopen in September,” Courtney said.
He then urged councilors to check out the work going on the recently opened Salisbury market at 114 Bridge Rd., which will also be home to the Seacoast Regional Food Hub.
“We invite the councilors to come and see the Seacoast Food Hub we have, take a tour, understand what we’re doing, why we’re doing it, who we’re helping,” Courtney said.
The council also unanimously voted to refer a bill looking to bring the city in compliance with the MBTA Communities Act to the Planning Board’s ordinance and administration subcommittee, Planning and Development subcommittee, and the Housing Trust. The City Council will next hear the matter during a public hearing set for Sept. 24.
Matt Petry covers Amesbury and Salisbury for The Daily News of Newburyport. Email him at: mpetry@northofboston.com.