Livingston Switching Power Companies After Trying ‘Aggregation’

LIVINGSTON, NJ — Livingston is going back to JCP&L and PSE&G, officials announced earlier this week.

Town officials rolled out the Livingston Community Energy Aggregation (LCEA) program in 2019, which allows residents to join a single buying pool for their electricity needs. Supporters of community energy aggregation say this allows a municipality to leverage its purchasing strength and negotiate better deals with power companies.

Residents who didn't want to participate were able to opt out of the program.

• See related article: Livingston Holds Forum On Community Energy Aggregation (WATCH)

Livingston – which was previously served by JCP&L and PSE&G – tried to bid for new contracts in 2018, but wasn’t able to make a deal due to “unfavorable energy market conditions.”

The next year, the township gave it another shot, eventually finding two new providers to replace JCP&L and PSE&G. According to municipal officials, both contracts meant “a higher renewable energy content at a lower average price.”

JCP&L customers were able to switch to Constellation NewEnergy, which got a 15-month contract that ends in September. The deal included 40 percent renewable energy, which was double the previous amount, officials said.

PSE&G customers were able to switch to Direct Energy Services, which got a 16-month contract that ends in October. That deal included 100 percent renewable energy content, town officials said.

But energy markets have been shifting over the past year and a half, and Livingston is finding it more difficult to “obtain favorable bid pricing.” As such, it’s in the best interest of residents if the township switches back to JCP&L and PSE&G, officials said … for now.

“We will continue to monitor market conditions in consultation with our energy consultant, Gabel Associates Inc., for improved opportunities for obtaining greener and cheaper power supply,” Livingston officials said.

Here are the details for customers with each company.

Residents in JCP&L territory – “In August, JCP&L will send notices to residents informing them that service with Constellation NewEnergy will be ending effective on your September 2020 meter read date. There is nothing further that participating residents need to do. Effective on your September 2020 meter read, JCP&L will resume as your power supplier (as they had been prior to June 2019). Starting with your October 2020 bill, you will notice on your JCP&L bill that CNE power supply charges will be replaced with a line item for JCP&L ‘Basic Generation Service’ power supply. For those of you who have had a budget billing (equal payment) plan with CNE, your September JCP&L bill will include a final true-up of your budget payments – a credit, if your total budget payments have been greater than the actual amount of electricity consumed during the past 15 months; a charge if your total budget payments have been less than the actual amount of electricity consumed during the past 15 months.”

Residents in PSE&G territory – “In September, PSE&G will send notices to residents informing them that service with Direct Energy Services will be ending effective on your October 2020 meter read date. Again, there is nothing further that participating residents need to do. Effective on your October 2020 meter read, PSE&G will resume as your power supplier (as they had been prior to June 2019). Starting with your November bill, you will notice on your PSE&G bill that Direct Energy power supply charges will be replaced with a line item for PSE&G ‘Basic Generation Service’ power supply. For those of you who have had a budget billing (equal payment) plan with Direct Energy, your October PSE&G bill will include a final true-up of your budget payments – a credit, if your total budget payments have been greater than the actual amount of electricity consumed during the past 16 months; a charge if your total budget payments have been less than the actual amount of electricity consumed during the past 16 months.”

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