N.Y. Gov. Touts PSC "Milestone" on Development of Municipal Aggregation

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on Friday announced "milestone" steps taken in New York State's comprehensive "Reforming the Energy Vision," including steps concerning municipal aggregation.

Cuomo's office said that five milestone steps taken by the PSC include:

"Development and exploration to allow Community Choice Aggregation in New York to benefit residential and small commercial customers and lower energy costs. Community Choice Aggregation involves the aggregation of gas or electricity load by municipalities. Participating municipalities could negotiate with energy services providers to contract for the community's energy supply. These contracts may offer attractive and stable prices as well as other public benefits. CCA programs will support the deployment of renewable generation, energy efficiency programs, home energy management, and other distributed energy resources."

Though several REV-related written orders were issued by the PSC last week, none have yet related to community choice aggregation.

As previously reported, a REV working group has said that the only barriers to opt-out municipal aggregation in New York are existing Uniform Business Practices which are wholly within the domain of the PSC, and that no statutory changes would be needed to implement opt-out aggregation.