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Community Power Aggregation — Guidance for Residential Net Metering Customers

Guidance for Residential Net Metering Customers

Introduction

Community Power is a municipal program designed to deliver stable competitive prices and more renewable energy options to electric customers, including net metering customers with solar panels or other onsite generation.

All customers receiving utility default supply, including net metering customers, are eligible for automatic enrollment in the program and will be enrolled unless they opt out prior to the deadline. Customers can leave the program before it starts, or at any time, with no program fee or penalty, effective on the next available meter read date.

Group Net Metering hosts and customers who receive monetary credit on their electric bills should opt out promptly to avoid potentially significant loss of supply credit. Other customers may benefit from participation. All customers should make an informed decision based on their own system and goals.

Net metering benefits may accrue due to stable competitive program rates and renewable energy options. Benefits vary based on the applicable net metering tariff and on seasonal production and electricity use, recorded on Eversource bills as ‘sales’ and ‘purchases.’ This guide helps net metering customers make an informed choice about participating in Community Power.

Summary Table

	NEM 1.0 (original tariff)	NEM 2.0 Purchases > Sales	NEM 2.0 Purchases < Sales	Group Host	Group Member
Banked credits	keep	keep	keep	keep	n/a
New T&D credits	yes	yes	yes	no	n/a
New supply credits*	yes	yes	no	no	n/a
Access to cash payout annually	no	no	no	no	n/a
Recommendation**	Stay in / proceed to automatic enrollment	Stay in / proceed to automatic enrollment	Assess benefit of participation	Opt out	Stay in / opt into Community Power

* New supply credits refers to the more significant, market-based supply portion of the credit (as opposed to the T&D-only credit).

** Customers should make their own decision regarding participation in the program.

Benefits for Your Community

1. Banked Credits

All net metering customers keep their current bank of kWh credits or dollars. All earned kWh credits or dollars are applied to reduce the cost of future bills, just like today.

2. Cash Payout

All net metering customers keep their current bank of kWh credits or dollars. All earned kWh credits or dollars are applied to reduce the cost of future bills, just like today.

Customers eligible for a cash payout should consider requesting a cash-out prior to enrollment in Community Power.

3. NEM 1 (Original Tariff)

All net metering customers keep their current bank of kWh credits or dollars. All earned kWh credits or dollars are applied to reduce the cost of future bills, just like today.

4. NEM 2 (All Other Systems)

This includes all newer systems. These customers receive a monetary credit on their electric bill. NEM 2 customers who participate continue to receive the T&D monetary credit but not the more significant supply credit. This monetary loss can be significant in months when sales exceed purchases — especially summer months — and it is not recoverable after the fact.

Purchases exceed sales in all or almost all months (including summer): may benefit from lower program rates and renewable options. Recommendation: stay in / proceed to automatic enrollment.
Sales exceed purchases in one or more months (including summer): will lose the supply value of excess production — a potentially significant and permanent loss, larger for bigger systems. Recommendation: opt out of Community Power.

5. Group Net Metering

Group Net Metering Hosts should opt out of the program promptly by calling the supplier and/or the utility, and should take steps to confirm they are not enrolled. Group members can proceed to automatic enrollment without loss of benefits.

Recommendations Summary

NEM 1 customers: Proceed to enroll in Community Power.
NEM 2 customers whose sales exceed purchases in one or more months (including summer): Opt out of Community Power.
NEM 2 customers whose purchases exceed sales in every month (including summer): Assess individual monetary benefit/cost on a monthly and annual basis, along with other participation goals.
Group Net Metering Hosts: Opt out of the program promptly by calling the supplier and/or the utility.
Group Net Metering Members: May participate in the program without loss of benefits.
Customers eligible for a cash payout: Consider requesting a cash-out prior to enrollment.

If after reading this guide you still have questions, please call the net metering support line at 781-587-3985.

Bring Community Power to Your Community

Tell us a little about your municipality, and our Community Power team will reach out to walk through what a program could look like for your residents — no cost, no commitment.

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