Town’s green CCA marks one year of environmental benefits
It’s easy to talk about “going green” and making environmentally-sound choices; Lebanon took action last year through Community Choice Aggregation. Over the past year, the residents of Lebanon have banded together to make a greener choice every time they turn the lights on.
In July 2019, the town joined a group of Southern Tier municipalities that chose a 100-percent renewable electricity supply for their residents. The group also includes:
- Village of Elmira Heights
- Village of Horseheads
- Town of Nelson
- Town of Union
- Village of Owego
Through the MEGA CCA program, Lebanon committed to support renewable energy by participating in a bulk purchase of green electricity for residents and small businesses. One year into the program, the environmental impact of this collective action is significant. In total, these six communities purchased nearly 47 million kWh of green electricity supply over the past year.
According to the EPA, that’s the equivalent of:
- Removing the greenhouse gases produced by driving 7,165 vehicles over the course of the year
- Recycling 1,411,175 bags of trash instead of sending them to the landfill
- Sequestering the carbon from 43,313 acres of forest over one year
CCA, a powerful tool in New York’s move toward renewable energy, is new to New York state but has been underway in several other states, including Massachusetts, Illinois and California.
The program localizes energy decision-making and creates more choice for consumers. Through bulk purchasing and competition, CCA can offer residents and small businesses access to 100-percent renewable electricity, competitive electric rates and price stability. The program also helps combat the predatory practices of energy telemarketers and door-to-door sales.
Submitted by Lebanon Supervisor James Goldstein.