Welcome!

The City of Beverly is developing a plan for a consumer-friendly electricity program called Beverly Community Electric. The program will allow the city to take a big step toward its sustainability goals by providing residents and businesses with cleaner electricity. 

The program will also offer benefits like long-term, competitive electricity prices and consumer protections. A form of group electricity purchasing known as municipal electricity aggregation, Beverly Community Electric will provide a City alternative to the many confusing electricity supply offers in the marketplace and to National Grid’s Basic Service, and it will provide a new price for a portion of your electricity bill.

In launching the Beverly Community Electric, Beverly will join nearly 150 other cities and towns in Massachusetts with similar programs. Beverly is targeting early 2022 for program launch.

Public comments accepted

To launch the program, the City must first develop an Aggregation Plan, which is a document that describes how the program will work and meet regulatory requirements. Beverly Community Electric will launch once the Aggregation Plan is approved by the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities. The approval process is expected to require several months.

Beverly’s draft Aggregation Plan will be available for public review and comment from January 20 until February 10, 2021. An overview of the plan will be presented at a virtual public information session on January 20 at 6:00 PM. [DETAILS NEEDED]

Documents available for public review and comment:

Submit written comments via email to [???], or via U.S. mail to [???]

Cleaner electricity

 Beverly Community Electric participants will automatically receive more electricity from renewable sources than is required by state law. The specific amount is still to be determined. You will also have the option to receive 100% of your electricity from renewable sources or to receive just the minimum amount required by state law. (Visit the Definitions page to learn about renewable electricity.)

Stable, competitive prices

 The program will aim to provide competitive, long-term electricity supply pricing. Price stability will make the program different from National Grid’s Basic Service prices, which change every 6 months or less, and from many electricity supply offers in the marketplace. The City’s goal is to provide savings when compared with the average of National Grid’s Basic Service prices. However, because National Grid’s Basic Service prices change and future prices are not known, savings compared with National Grid’s prices can’t be guaranteed.

Consumer protections

 Beverly Community Electric is being designed to protect Beverly consumers. The program will include no hidden fees, and you will have the freedom to opt out of the program at any time with no penalty.

Details such as prices, how much renewable electricity will be included, and when the program will launch will be determined after Beverly’s Aggregation Plan receives approval from state regulators. Learn about the implementation process.

How electricity aggregation works

Through Beverly Community Electric, Beverly will choose its own electricity supplier, and it will determine the price that National Grid uses to calculate the supply services portion of your electricity bill. However, Beverly Community Electric will not replace National Grid as Beverly’s electricity utility. If you choose to participate, you will remain a National Grid electricity customer with no interruption to your electricity. National Grid will continue to deliver your electricity, they will continue to send your electricity bill, and you will continue to call them if your power goes out. If you are eligible for any discount from National Grid, you will continue to receive that discount.

Enrollment will be automatic for most electricity customers in Beverly (though not for customers who have already signed an electricity supply contract). If your account is eligible for automatic enrollment, you will receive a notification in the mail from the City before being enrolled with details like pricing and program options.

Participation is never required. The automatic enrollment model is state law for all programs like Beverly Community Electric,
but you will be able to opt out before being enrolled and any time after enrollment with no penalty.

Learn more about how aggregation works
Read the FAQ