Recently authored by Medfield Community Electricity

Medfield Community Electricity (“MCE”) 1^st Year, Midterm Report

1. What is Medfield Community Electricity?  

MCE is Medfield’s electricity supply program designed to provide Town residents and businesses with regulated (DPU and Town oversight) alternatives to Eversource’s Basic Service supply offering and offerings from third party suppliers by leveraging the town’s collective buying power.  This program was approved by the Medfield Town Meeting in 2021, approved by the Department of Public Utilities in January 2024 and implemented month end in June 2024. Nearly 170 other cities and towns in Massachusetts, including Millis, Walpole and Westwood have similar programs.

• Benefits, in summary
• Price stability: contract duration 30 months, June 2024 – December 2026 with a set price.

Eversource renews its Basic Service contract every 6 months with probable rate change at each renewal.

• Price competitive: all 3 MCE Plan rates have performed favorably to Eversource’s Basic Service Rate to date, saving subscribers money.
• More Renewable Energy Consumption: Under MCE, there has been an increase in percentage of power consumed from renewable sources over that of Eversource Basic Service and State mandate.  This has removed carbon dioxide that, otherwise, would have been emitted into our atmosphere, a positive environmental impact.
• What are the program options?

3 program options: Medfield Basic, Medfield Standard, Medfield 100

The Eversource Basic Service Rate for August 1, 2025 – January 31, 2026 is included in the chart above for comparison with the MCE offerings. All MCE options will recognize more savings in the forthcoming 6 month Eversource contract period (August 1, 2025 – January 31, 2026).  Eversource rates in effect during the MCE program’s first year are as follows (Note: Eversource Small Business Rates have varied slightly from the Residential Rates shown here):

• How are the MCE options performing?
• Assuming the average residential consumption of 786 kWh/month, $ savings for the period June 2024 – June 2025 follow:

Small business savings over this period approximate those of residential subscribers.

• Subscriber savings (above) have been accompanied by over 3 million kWh of renewable energy consumed in place of more than 2 million lbs of Carbon Dioxide (equivalent to nearly 300 cars per year) that would have been emitted from fossil fuels (https://www.epa.gov/energy/greenhouse-gas-equivalencies-calculator).

• What will happen after expiration of the current contract in December 2026?
• A new RFQ (Request for Quote) will be submitted to Supply providers in the spring of 2026, as was done in March 2024 for the current contract.
• The MCE Town Committee (also known as the “CCA”, Community Choice Aggregation Committee), Town Administrator and Select Board must agree to an RFQ response believed to be competitive with market conditions of the time for an extended period, preferably 2-3 years duration, following December 31, 2026.
• If you do not participate in MCE yet, how can you sign up?  
• Eversource Basic Service – You may switch from Eversource Basic Service at any time to an MCE program of choice.
• You are under contract with another electricity supplier – You may sign up for the program at any time, but you should check with your current supplier for any cancellation penalties.

To join an MCE program of choice, use the form at electricity.medfield.net or call the supplier, Direct Energy, at (866) 968-8065.

• FAQ regarding the MCE program
• Participation is voluntary, customers may opt-in or out at any time, without penalty.  Opting-out returns a customer to Eversource Basic.
• Customers may switch between any of the 3 program options at any time.
• Customers in the Low-Income (R2) rate class continue to receive their current percentage discount on their entire electricity bill.  Budget billing customers also continue to receive budget billing for their entire bill.
• Customers that receive solar electricity benefits from net metering credits, community shared solar or similar payments, continue to receive those benefits.

To opt-in or out or to switch plans, use the form at electricity.medfield.net or call the supplier, Direct Energy, at (866) 968-8065.

• What changes when someone joins the Medfield Community Electricity program? There are two parts to an Eversource electricity bill – (1) Supply and (2) Delivery. Enrolling in Medfield Community Electricity changes the Supply part of an Eversource invoice only. Eversource continues to provide all Delivery services, which includes responding to power outages, and continues to manage billing and other management functions.
• Where does the voluntary renewable energy come from? The voluntary renewable energy (i.e. the amount above and beyond the minimum required by the State) qualifies as Class I.  Class I is the State’s term for new, regional renewable energy which, for Medfield, comes primarily from New England wind and solar projects.

For more information about the Medfield Community Electricity program, go to electricity.medfield.net