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i The past few years have seen many changes in Report of the how electricity is produced in New England. There is Cape Light Compact growing concern over how to meet both the reliability needs of the electric grid and our greenhouse gas reduction goals, all at a reasonable cost to electricity To the Honorable Board of Selectmen and the consumers. In the upcoming year, state elected offi- Citizens of the Town of Mashpee: cials and the Massachusetts Department of Public "/t is a pleasure to serve on the Governing Utilities will be focusing on this issue. Topics to be Board for Cape Light Compact. The Compact is a key deliberated include: (1) whether not to instal] new natural gas pipelines, and who should should pay for this; player in implementing a successful energy efficiency electric customers or gas customers; (2) net metering program in Mashpee and across the cape and cap for solar and other renewable generation projects; Vineyard while assuring affordable energy for our res- 3 smartrid,or grid modernization,technology, idents and businesses." — Tom Mayo, Mashpee will g gy,who wll benefit and how will costs be allocated amongst Representative electric customers. As we have done in the past the Cape Light Compact (the "Compact") is an Cape Light Compact Governing Board will participate award-winning energy services organization operated in these, and other, discussions on behalf of electric i by the 21 towns and two counties on Cape Cod and customers. Martha's Vineyard. The Compact's mission is to In 2015,Cape Light Compact provided energy to serve its 200,000 customers through the delivery of residents and businesses in accordance with two com- proven energy efficiency programs, effective con- petitive electricity supply contracts negotiated by the sumer advocacy, competitive electricity supply and Compact. The Compact's residential electricity sup- green power options. For more information, visit plier was ConEdison Solutions, and the commercial www.capelightcompact.org. and industrial supplier was NextEra Energy. As of the Power Supply—Stability,Security and Green most recent count, the Compact had approximately Power Options 7,212 total electric accounts within the Town of Mashpee on its energy supply. Cape Light Compact offers stable and secure electric supply at competitive rates.Much depends on Consumer Advocacy—Committed to Consumer timing and market forces,but the Compact was proud Interests to offer stable,competitive prices in 2015. As in pre- Since 1997,Cape Light Compact has advocated vious years, electricity prices in 2015 were primarily for the ratepayers of Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard driven by the price of natural gas.The winter of 2015 at the local, state, and federal level. In 2015, the saw a lower wholesale electricity price spike from the Compact focused much of its advocacy on consumer 2014 winter, but retail electricity prices were still the electricity disclosure labels,DPU's competitive supply highest in recent history. This is because of high for- website, and door-to-door marketing rules. These ward market prices at the time when retail suppliers issues affect how electricity consumers interact with were procuring in advance for their expected loads. and take advantage of the competitive supply market. These high forward prices were set by expectations of The Compact has provided input advocating for better the same high wholesale prices seen in the winter of disclosure methods of electricity sources, including 2014, which didn't come to fruition this year. While renewable energy,which will better inform consumers New England's natural gas delivery constraint was about where the electricity they're purchasing comes still the main contributing factor to high winter whole- from.The Compact is also continuing to provide DPU sale prices, it was mitigated by warmer temperatures j with input on their competitive supplier website in in the beginning of the winter,increased liquefied nat- ural gas (LNG) imports, implementation of an order to ensure it is easy for users to use and improved winter reliability program by the electricity understand.The Compact, along with others,has also grid operator,and low oil prices. successfully lobbied for the implementation of door- to-door marketing rules that will help protect consumers from some of the unscrupulous marketing tactics that have been used on the Cape and Vineyard. 92