Worcester Electricity Aggregation Rates To Drop Again In October

WORCESTER, MA — Electricity prices are set to fall again for customers enrolled in Worcester's municipal aggregation program.

The city said rates for all three Green Worcester ElectriCITY options will decrease beginning with September meter readings and first appear on October National Grid bills. City officials attributed the reductions to a change in the renewable energy certificates the program purchases.

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Standard Green, the option most participants use, will drop from 15.32 cents per kilowatt-hour to 14.12 cents. The 100 percent Green rate will fall from 16.51 cents to 14.19 cents, while Basic Green will decrease from 14.69 cents to 14.08 cents.

The new rates will remain in effect through December 2027. Standard Green and Basic Green are below National Grid's current residential Basic Service rate of 17.185 cents per kilowatt-hour, which is in effect through Jan. 31, 2027. The city said it cannot guarantee savings beyond that date because National Grid's future rates are not yet known.

Since 2020, the aggregation program has purchased more renewable electricity than state law requires, including Massachusetts Class I Renewable Energy Certificates intended to support new renewable projects in New England.

The city said recent federal policy changes have reduced expectations for new renewable projects in the region. Worcester will pause its additional purchases of local certificates and instead buy lower-cost voluntary National Wind certificates from outside New England until market and policy conditions improve.

Customers do not need to take action and will remain enrolled in their current option. Participants may switch options or leave the program without fees or penalties. Low-income discounts will not be affected.

The aggregation rates apply only to the supply portion of National Grid bills. Delivery charges will remain unchanged.

The city said the program has saved participants more than $8.5 million compared with National Grid rates since it launched in 2020.

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