(Editor’s note: This story was originally published on late January 2021 but was lost after a website outage and later recovered.)
Starting in March, residents will have the option of getting 100% of their electricity from renewable sources under the new Lincoln Green Energy Choice (LGEC) program.
LGEC does not replace Eversource, which will still transmit the electricity (a service that account for about half of customers’ monthly bill). Instead, the program changes Lincoln’s electricity supplier and each customer’s electricity supply price. The town has signed a contract with First Point Power to be the program’s electricity supplier. Eversource Basic Service customers in Lincoln will be automatically enrolled in the Lincoln Standard Green option unless they opt out, which they can do at any time.
Lincoln Green Energy Choice includes three options:
- Lincoln Standard Green (default): Provides 27% additional renewable electricity from New England (MA Class I RECs) above the 18% minimum required by state law for 11.725¢/kWh
- Lincoln Total Green provides 100% renewable electricity from New England for 14.043¢/kWh
- Lincoln Basic: provides 2% additional renewable electricity from New England for 10.651¢/kWh for a total of 20% renewable-source electricity.
LGEC prices are fixed until January 2023. However, the program cannot guarantee savings when compared with Eversource’s Basic Service prices.
Those who are eligible for automatic enrollment received a letter in the mail with program information and instructions for choosing one of the program options or opting out. The letter and envelope carried the town logo but the return address is c/o First Point Power because enrollment options will be handled by that company. Customers who have already signed their own an agreement with an electricity supplier will not receive a letter and will not be automatically enrolled but are welcome to enroll at any time before or after the program launches.
Enrollment will start with March 2021 meter reads and will be seamless, with no interruption in electricity service. Participants can expect to see the LGEC price on their electricity bill beginning in April 2021. Participants will see just two changes on their bills: (1) Eversource will use the Lincoln Green Energy Choice price to calculate the supply charge portion of their bill instead of the current Basic Service price, and (2) First Point Power will be listed as their electricity supplier. Otherwise, nearly everything else remains the same: Eversource remains responsible for delivering electricity and addressing power outages in Lincoln. LGEC participants will continue to receive and pay just one electricity bill from Eversource, and this will be the only electricity bill they receive.
Anyone eligible for a low-income discount will continue to receive that discount as a participant in Lincoln Green Energy Choice. Tax-exempt accounts will need to submit tax exemption documentation to First Point Power to retain tax-exempt status.
“Our town has established an ambitious set of environmental sustainability objectives,” Town Administrator Timothy S. Higgins said. “The electricity aggregation contract recently executed by the Board of Selectmen is an essential element of the town’s plan for meeting these goals.”
“Fully 22% of Lincoln’s CO2 emissions come from generating our electricity, so this program has a direct impact on our contributions to climate change,” said LGEC member C.J. Volpone. “In addition, the increase in renewably generated electricity multiplies the impact of our electric vehicles, efficient electric appliances and heating systems, insuring these equipment choices are powered by low-CO2-emitting electricity generation.”
Public information sessions to provide an opportunity for the community to ask questions about the program will be held on the following dates:
- Lincoln Green Energy Committee — Thursday, Feb. 4 at 1:00 p.m. Click here for the Zoom link (meeting ID: 942 3538 8880, Passcode: 460113).
- Council on Aging’s Lincoln Academy — Monday, Feb. 8 at noon. Visit the Council on Aging webpage for information on how to attend.
- Board of Selects meeting — Monday, Feb. 8 at 6:30 p.m. Click here for the Zoom link (meeting ID: 918 3237 5325, Passcode: 378902).
Residents may also contact First Point Power customer support by calling (844) 651-8919, using the customer support form on the LGEC website, or sending an email to support@LincolnGreenEnergyChoice.com. To request an ASL interpreter, contact one of the sources above one week before the event.