2018-Annual Town Report - Laserfiche WebLink

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RECs,plus their supplier and retail fees (expected to Report of the total over $3 million per year), into a trust fund to be Cape Light Compact used solely for the development of new renewable energy resources.In December 2018,the Compact also announced that it had entered in to a long-term power The Compact is a key player in implementing a purchase agreement (PPA) for both energy and RECs successful energy efficiency program in Mashpee and from a solar facility under development in Farmington, across the Cape and Vineyard while assuring affordable Maine,which is scheduled to begin delivering energy to energy for our residents and businesses. I look forward Compact customers in 2021. Now, by purchasing to continuing this important work on behalf of the Town electricity through the Compact, all Compact power of Mashpee. supply customers are supporting renewable energy and Mashpee Representative—Wayne Taylor acting locally to combat climate change. At a regional level, New England continues to Cape Light Compact JPE is an intergovernmental face electricity pricing challenges during the winter organization consisting of the 21 towns on Cape Cod months. Over the last fifteen years, New England has and Martha's Vineyard and Duke's County. The greatly increased its reliance on natural gas for Compact's mission is to serve our 205,000 customers electricity production,and now over fifty (50) percent through the delivery of proven energy efficiency of New England's electricity is generated with natural programs,effective consumer advocacy,and renewable gas. However, natural gas pipeline capacity has not competitive electricity supply. substantially increased during that same period. As a Effective July 1, 2017, the Cape Light Compact result,during winter cold snaps,demand for natural gas reorganized and reconstituted itself as a joint powers entity to generate electricity competes with natural gas pursuant to Massachusetts General Law Chapter 40 demand for heating purposes. Allocation of natural gas Section 4A1/2,becoming the first joint powers entity in for heating has priority over natural gas for generating Massachusetts. Reorganizing as a joint powers entity electricity.This creates a supply shortage of natural gas protects member towns from potential liabilities and for electricity production,and therefore increases prices mandates greater financial accountability through for electric generators, which is passed on to all New expanded reporting requirements to the Massachusetts England power supply customers. Massachusetts has Department of Revenue and member Towns, and taken a major step to address this issue through the designation of Treasury functions to an independent entity. execution of long-term contracts for off-shore wind energy, and continues to negotiate contracts for POWER SUPPLY additional renewable energy resources; however,until such time as this issue is fully resolved,either through During 2018,the Compact's power supplier for all additional infrastructure, demand reduction or other residential, commercial, and industrial customers was targeted programs,the possibility of future high winter NextEra Energy Services of Massachusetts (NextEra). pricing remains, and as such, consumers should still The Compact is pleased that our residential price in expect seasonal pricing fluctuations for the foreseeable 2018 was lower than Eversource's basic service future.The Compact will continue to seek ways to help residential,while also being 100%renewable. customers reduce their electricity costs through innovative energy efficiency programs to mitigate the The Compact has been a green aggregation since impacts of higher winter electricity pricing. January 2017, meaning 100% of Compact's power supply customers' annual electricity usage is met with As of December 2018, the Compact had renewable energy certificates (RECs). Each REC approximately 7,947 electric accounts in the Town of represents the generation of 1 megawatt hour (1,000 Mashpee on its power supply. kilowatt hours) of electricity produced by a renewable resource, such as wind or solar. By retiring RECs to CONSUMER ADVOCACY match the Compact's customers' usage, Compact Since 1997, Cape Light Compact has advocated customers are financially supporting renewable energy for the ratepayers of Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard resources,including resources located on Cape Cod and at the local and state level. In 2018, the Compact southeastern Massachusetts. In addition, NextEra continued its focus on grid modernization,reviewing pledged to deposit all premiums paid for voluntary 105