A single entity rarely buys enough electricity or natural gas to command a supplier’s best price. Several of them buying together do. Priority Power builds and runs the programs that make that possible: for communities, chamber members, association members, and public entities.
Each program below works differently, because state law and the sponsoring organization decide how it can be structured. What they share is the mechanic: pool the load, take it to licensed suppliers in a competitive solicitation, and negotiate a contract no member could have secured alone. Your utility keeps delivering the power, maintaining the lines and most times, sending the bill.
Priority Power manages community energy aggregation programs in Illinois, New Hampshire, and Ohio. Each state’s program works a little differently — select yours to see how it works and what it means for your community.
For cities, towns and counties. A community aggregates the electricity load of its residents and small businesses under state aggregation law and puts it out for competitive bid. Most programs are opt-out: eligible customers are enrolled automatically and can leave at any time, free. Active in Illinois, New Hampshire and Ohio.
Our role
Program design, supplier procurement, regulatory compliance, resident education and renewals.
For members of participating chambers of commerce and trade associations across multiple jurisdictions. Member businesses opt in individually and buy at the group’s negotiated price. Known internally as the Chamber Program.
Our role
Program administration, supplier solicitation, member enrollment and ongoing support.
For members of purchasing organizations and cooperatives. Priority Power runs the energy category as the exclusive, sole-source partner for several of the country’s largest GPOs, and as a selected partner in others. Members buy at group-negotiated terms, in their own name.
Our role
Category management, competitive solicitation, member enrollment and reporting.
The Municipal Electric and Gas Alliance. For New York counties, municipalities, school districts, libraries and other public entities. A member-governed nonprofit that awards electricity and natural gas supply through a competitive public bid. Members buy off the awarded contracts without running their own New York State-required public bid.
Our role
Energy consultant and buyers’ agent to MEGA since 1998 bid support, market analysis and member service.
Combine the electricity and natural gas load of every eligible member into a single volume. Scale is the whole argument; a supplier prices a hundred million kilowatt-hours differently than it prices one building.
Take that volume to licensed retail suppliers in a competitive, documented process. Depending on the program, that is a public bid, a private RFP or a managed solicitation.
Negotiate the terms, not just the headline price, term length, price structure, bandwidth, pass-through treatment and the exit provisions that decide what a low headline rate is actually worth. Contracting may occur in aggregate or separately.
Enrollment, member questions, billing issues, market monitoring and the renewal. The programs that keep saving members money are the ones somebody is still watching in year three.
| Program | Who is eligible | How members join | Where | Cost to join |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Community Choice Aggregation | Residents and small businesses in a city, town or county that has authorized a program | Opt-out, automatic, leave anytime | IL, NH, OH | None |
| Energy Alliance | Member businesses of a participating chamber or trade association | Opt-in | Multiple | None |
| Group Purchasing Organizations | Members of a purchasing organization or cooperative that holds an agreement with us | Opt-in, through the organization | National | None |
| MEGA | New York counties, municipalities, school districts, not-for-profits and public entities | Opt-in, no obligation | New York State | None |
A group of organizations or households that combine their electricity or natural gas demand and buy supply together, so the group can negotiate terms none of them could reach individually. Community aggregation, chamber programs, purchasing cooperatives and municipal alliances are all versions of it.
No. Your utility continues to deliver energy, maintain the lines, respond to outages and send the bill. Only the supply portion of the bill changes.
There is no fee to a member, or to a sponsoring organization, to participate in the programs on this page.
Yes. Terms vary by program and by the contract in force, and each program page sets out the specifics — but no program on this page locks a member in permanently.
Yes. The four programs here are the established ones, and the GPO channel is national. Priority Power procures electricity and natural gas across deregulated markets nationwide, and we build custom group programs for associations and cooperatives outside these states. Tell us about your membership and we will tell you what is possible where they operate.
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