Half of Westchester municipalities -Sustainable Westchester ESCO

Half of the Westchester municipalities have become a part of the Sustainable Westchester Energy Service Company (ESCO) program, which was authorized by the NY State Public Service Commission in 2015. The Board of Directors of Sustainable Westchester includes the mayors and supervisors of Mamaroneck, New Rochelle, North Salem, Ossining, White Plains and Yonkers.

The Sustainable Westchester ESCO program supplies electricity which is produced from sources which are neither nuclear nor fossil fuels. I have been an environmentalist throughout my career and support “green energy”, and am proud the Town Board has included Greenburgh as one of the Westchester municipalities supporting green energy sources (wind, solar and hydro) which do not produce greenhouse emissions and reduce air pollution.

Opting-out of Con Ed is necessary to get green energy. But a resident is not stuck with green energy or with green energy from the Sustainable Westchester ESCO: (1) If any resident does not want green energy, they can opt-out and go back to fossil fuel energy from Con Ed. (2) If any resident wants green energy but wants another supplier than Sustainable Westchester, they can opt-out and then obtain electricity from whatever green energy supplier they choose. This is the process approved by the State’s Public Service Commission.

The Sustainable Westchester ESCO cost was set at a competitive bidding auction. The auction picked the lowest price offered. Any qualifying green energy supplier was free to offer a lower price at the auction.

The process of opting-out from the Sustainable Westchester ESCO (called, Westchester Power) is easy: Westchester Power will mail an Opt-Out Reply Card to residents in the next several weeks. Within 30 days of receiving the card, simply sign, date and mail the card to opt-out. After the 30 day period, a resident can still opt-out at any time by either: (1) Going to the Sustainable Westchester website, sustainablewestchester.org, clicking on Programs, clicking on Westchester Power, clicking on Opt in/Opt out/, clicking on Con Ed, entering your Con Ed account number, and after checking your name and address, then clicking on Opt-out. (2) Calling Sustainable Westchester (242-4725), saying you live in the Town of Greenburgh, and giving your name, address and Con Ed account number. Any resident is free to opt-out of the program at any time, and there is no penalty or fee. If they do, I hope they will give consideration to signing-up with another non-fossil fuel provider.

PAUL FEINER