[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Board of the Town of Fishkill 2-1-2017 by L.L. No. 4-2017. Amendments noted where applicable.]
A.
It is the policy of both the Town of Fishkill (the "Town") and the
State of New York to reduce costs and provide price certainty for
the purpose of consumer protection and economic development, to expand
access and opportunities for consumers in retail energy markets, as
well as to promote the sustainability and resilience of energy systems
through the proliferation of renewable energy, energy efficiency,
and distributed energy resources (DER, as defined below). Among the
initiatives that may advance these objectives in New York is a Community
Choice Aggregation ("CCA"), a policy that empowers local governments
to determine the source of electricity and/or natural gas supply on
behalf of its residents and small businesses, reflecting local resources,
priorities and challenges. Energy delivery remains the responsibility
of the distribution utility.
B.
This chapter establishes the authority for the Town, in connection
with the implementation of a CCA program, to acquire utility data,
to select, through competitive solicitation, energy supplier(s) on
behalf of default consumers within the jurisdictional boundaries of
the Town, and to maximize value for participating consumers through
enhanced services related to DER. The Town may choose to collaborate
with other local governments to form an intermunicipal program. As
a result, consumers will have the opportunity to lower and stabilize
their energy costs, to spur local clean energy innovation and investment,
and to reduce their environmental Impact, thereby fulfilling the purposes
of this chapter and fulfilling an important public purpose.
C.
The Town is authorized to implement this community choice aggregation
program pursuant to § 10(1)(ii)(a)(12) of the New York Municipal
Home Rule Law; and consistent with State of New York Public Service
Commission Case No. 14-M-0224, Proceeding on Motion of the Commission
to Enable Community Choice Aggregation Programs (issued April 21,
2016), as may be amended, including subsequent orders of the Public
Service Commission issued in connection with or related to Case No.
14-M-0224, to the extent that orders related to Case No. 14-M-024
enable actions by the Town.
D.
This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the "Community Choice
Aggregation Program Law of the Town of Fishkill."
For purposes of this chapter, and unless otherwise expressly
stated or unless the context otherwise requires, the terms in this
chapter shall have the meanings employed in the State of New York
Public Service Commission's Uniform Business Practices or, if
not so defined there, as indicated below:
Aggregated and anonymized information including, but not
limited to, the number of consumers by service and rate class, the
aggregated peak demand (kW) (for electricity) by month for the past
12 months by service and rate class, and the aggregated energy (kWh)
for electricity or volumetric consumption for gas by month for the
past 12 months by service and rate class.
The Town of Fishkill or its duly authorized third-party CCA
Administrator authorized to request aggregated and customer-specific
data, competitively solicit suppliers for the aggregated demand for
electricity and/or natural gas on behalf of default consumers, and
to offer participating consumers additional opportunities to participate
or enroll in programs or projects related to distributed energy resources.
CCA Administrator is responsible for program organization, administration,
procurement, communications, and for meeting all requirements for
program implementation specified in the PSC CCA order, unless otherwise
specified.
Customer-specific information, personal data and utility
data for all default consumers including the customer of record's
name, mailing address, telephone number, account number, and primary
language, if available, and any customer-specific alternate billing
name, address, and phone number.
Customers of electricity and/or natural gas within opt-out
eligible service classes (as delineated in the PSC CCA order), who
receive supply service from the distribution utility as of the date
the supply contract goes into effect, or consumers within these service
classes that subsequently become eligible to participate in the program
including those that have terminated a supply contract with an ESCO,
removed a freeze or block on their account, have voluntarily suspended
service pursuant to a special rate, or are new residents of the Town.
Consumers within opt-out eligible service classes, as of the date
the supply contract goes into effect, taking service from an ESCO,
those that have placed a freeze or block on their account, and those
for whom enrollment in the CCA program would interfere with a choice
they have already made to take service pursuant to a special rate
are not considered default consumers and will not be enrolled on an
opt-out basis. For the avoidance of doubt, all default consumers must
reside or be otherwise located at one or more locations within the
geographic boundaries of the Town, as such boundaries exist as of
the date the supply contract with the goes into effect.
Local renewable energy projects, community distributed generation
(e.g., shared solar), peak demand management, energy efficiency, demand
response, energy storage, community resilience microgrid projects,
and other innovative Reforming the Energy Vision (REV) initiatives
that further engage and/or reduce cost of service for participating
consumers, optimize system benefits, and/or address infrastructure
and demand challenges within geography of the CCA.
Owner or controller of the means of distribution of the natural
gas or electricity in the Town. The distribution utility also serves
as the default supplier of electricity and natural gas preceding the
establishment of a CCA program.
An entity duly authorized to conduct business in the State
of New York as an ESCO.
Default consumers who have not opted out, and non-default
consumers of any service class that have voluntarily enrolled in the
program.
The PSC's Order Authorizing Framework for Community
Choice Aggregation Opt-Out Program, issued on April 21, 2016 in Case
14-M-0224, "Proceeding on Motion of the Commission to Enable Community
Choice Aggregation Programs."
New York State Public Service Commission.
An ESCO that procures electric power and natural gas for
participating consumers in connection with this chapter or, alternatively,
generators of electricity and natural gas or other entities who procure
and resell electricity or natural gas.
A.
A community choice aggregation program is hereby authorized by the
Town, whereby the Town may implement a CCA program to the full extent
permitted by the PSC CCA order, as set forth more fully herein.
B.
The Town may enter into contracts with one or more suppliers for
electric and/or natural gas supply and other services on behalf of
default consumers.
D.
The operation and ownership of the utility service shall remain with
the distribution utility. The Town's participation in a CCA program
constitutes neither the purchase of a public utility system, nor the
furnishing of utility service. The Town shall not take over any part
of the electric or gas transmission or distribution system and will
not furnish any type of utility service, but will instead negotiate
with suppliers on behalf of participating consumers.
E.
The Public Service Commission supervises retail markets and participants
in these markets through legislative and regulatory authority and
the uniform business practices, which includes rules relating to the
eligibility of participating ESCOs, the operation by which ESCOs provide
energy services, and the terms on which customers may be enrolled
with ESCOs.
A.
All default consumers shall be enrolled on an opt-out basis. Default
consumers will have the right to opt out before the supply contract
goes into effect, or dis-enroll any time thereafter with no penalty.
Those that do not opt out before the supply contract goes into effect
will be enrolled automatically.
B.
All non-default consumers within the Town, regardless of service
class, shall be eligible to participate in the CCA program on an opt-in
basis.
C.
The CCA Administrator, on behalf of the Town, shall issue one more
requests for proposals to suppliers to provide energy to participants
and may then award a contract in accordance with the CCA program.
A.
A program notification letter, printed on municipal letterhead, shall
be mailed to default consumers at least 30 days prior to customer
enrollment. The letter shall include information on the CCA program
and the contract signed with the selected supplier(s) including specific
details on rates, services, contract term, cancellation fee, and methods
for opting out of the CCA program. The letter shall explain that consumers
that do not opt out will be enrolled in the program under the contract
terms and that information on those consumers, including energy usage
data and APP status, will be provided to the ESCO.
B.
After the thirty-day opt-out period, all consumers shall have the
option to dis-enroll from the CCA program at any time without penalty.
A.
The Town, or CCA Administrator on its behalf, may request aggregated
data and customer-specific data from the distribution utility.
B.
Customer-specific data shall be protected in a manner compliant with,
collectively, (i) all national, state and local laws, regulations
or other government standards relating to the protection of information
that identifies or can be used to identify an individual that apply
with respect to the Town or its representative's processing of
confidential utility information; (ii) the utility's internal
requirements and procedures relating to the protection of information
that identifies or can be used to identify an individual that apply
with respect to the Town or its representative's processing of
confidential utility information; and (iii) the PSC CCA order and
PSC rules, regulations and guidelines relating to confidential data.
C.
For the purpose of protecting customer data, the Town must enter
into an agreement with the distribution utility that obligates each
party to meet, collectively, (i) all national, state and local laws,
regulations or other government standards relating to the protection
of information that identifies or can be used to identify an individual
default consumer or participating consumer with respect to the CCA
Administrator or its representative's processing of confidential
utility information; (ii) the distribution utility's internal
requirements and procedures relating to the protection of information
that identifies or can be used to identify individual default consumer
or participating consumer with respect to the CCA Administrator or
its representative's processing of confidential utility information;
and (iii) the PSC CCA order and PSC rules, regulations and guidelines
relating to confidential data.
The Town or CCA Administrator may collect, or cause to be collected,
funds from customer payments to pay for administrative costs associated
with running the CCA program.
A.
Annual reports shall be filed with the Town Board of the Town of
Fishkill by March 31 of each year and cover the previous calendar
year.
B.
Annual reports shall include, at a minimum: number of consumers served;
number of consumers cancelling during the year; number of complaints
received; commodity prices paid; value-added services provided during
the year (e.g., installation of DER or other clean energy services);
and administrative costs collected. The first report shall also include
the number of consumers who opted-out in response to the initial opt-out
letter or letters.
C.
If a CCA supply contract will expire less than one year following
the filing of the annual report, the report must identify current
plans for soliciting a new contract, negotiating an extension, or
ending the CCA program.
