Newton Power Choice is a municipal electricity aggregation, which is a type of group electricity buying program.
Typically, your electric utility, Eversource, provides two sets of services to you:
But in Massachusetts, consumers actually have three options for electricity supply:
Newton Power Choice provides long-term, stable pricing, the potential to save compared with Eversource (though savings cannot be guaranteed), and the consumer protections that come with a regulated, municipal program, including the freedom to leave at any time with no fee or penalty. Learn more about program benefits.
Municipal aggregation was approved by City Council on March 20, 2017. After a period of state regulatory review and approval, Newton Power Choice launched with March 2019 meter reads.
The City of Newton has signed a contract with Direct Energy Services, LLC (“Direct Energy”) to supply electricity to Newton Power Choice participants until January 2028. The City intends to sign a new electricity supply contract when the current Direct Energy contract ends. The electricity supplier and renewable energy content may change, and the price may be higher or lower than the current price. You will continue in the program at the new price unless you inform the program otherwise. The City will provide advance notice of any such changes, and you will be free to opt out before the new contract takes effect. However, if the City decides the program is not beneficial to the community, it is free to cancel the program at the end of the Direct Energy supply contract and return all participants to Eversource’s Basic Service.
In the past, Newton Power Choice has purposefully supported the development of renewable power by purchasing more Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) than is required by state law. The money generated from RECs provided an additional revenue stream for renewable energy project developers. By purchasing more RECs than was required and contributing to that revenue stream, Newton was helping renewable energy developers build more renewable projects in the New England region.
However, this year the federal government has substantially slowed the addition of new renewable energy projects by sunsetting tax credits, ending funding programs, slowing new permits, and seeking to revoke existing permits. As a result, there is now a shortage of RECs, and buying the RECs that are available does not result in the development of new renewable energy projects. (You can read about this issue in greater detail here: newtonma.gov/recs.)
For that reason, the 2026 – 2028 Newton Power Choice electricity supply contract does not include the purchase of additional RECs above the state requirement. Accordingly, the program structure has changed from three options in the past to a single option that meets minimum state renewable energy requirements. To be clear, the new Newton Power Choice contract for the next two years does not include additional voluntary RECs because, at this time, such additional RECs do not facilitate the development of renewables.
Nonetheless, the City of Newton wants to support renewables. To that end, Newton Power Choice is exploring two initiatives:
The City will provide more information as both initiatives evolve.
Municipal electricity aggregation was enabled by the Massachusetts Restructuring Act of 1997 (Chapter 164, Section 134), which allows local municipal governments to aggregate the electricity supply loads of the electricity consumers within their geographic boundaries in order to negotiate more favorable terms with an electricity supplier.
State law requires aggregations to use an automatic enrollment model. Newton did not have a choice as to whether the program would be opt in or opt out.
However, participation is never required. You have the option to opt out before being automatically enrolled, or you may try the program and leave later. There is never any fee or penalty to opt out, and you may do so at any time. Opt out.
If you have received a notice of automatic enrollment from the City, you do not need to take any action. Your account will be automatically enrolled after the opt-out deadline listed in the notice. View the notice of automatic enrollment.
If you have not received a notice of automatic enrollment, you may request enrollment.
Visit the Participating page for more information.
Participation is open to all metered electricity accounts in Newton.
For more details, please see the Participating page.
Yes, however, if you opt out and then wish to re-enroll in the program, you are not guaranteed the program price when you re-enroll. The electricity supplier is entitled to charge you a market price for the remainder of the current electricity supply contract, which may be higher. If the program’s electricity supplier decides to charge market pricing, you will be notified before enrollment and can decide then whether to continue with enrollment or not.
You will see two changes on your Eversource electric bill as a result of participating in Newton Power Choice:
Otherwise, everything else will remain the same. You will continue to receive your electric bill from Eversource, you will continue to pay Eversource using whatever method you have set up with them, and you will continue to call Eversource if the power goes out.
If you are eligible for any discounts from Eversource, such as a low-income discount or fuel assistance, those discounts will be unaffected by your participation in Newton Power Choice.
If you have Eversource’s Budget Billing, it will continue to apply to your total bill.
Newton Power Choice will be integrated into your existing Eversource electric bill. You will not receive any additional bills because of participating in Newton Power Choice.
Eversource continues to send your bill, and you continue to pay them using whatever method you have set up with them.
To see what your electric bill will look like, view an example bill.
The program will appear on your Eversource electric bill, and your Generation Service Charge will reflect the program price. View an example Eversource bill to see where the program and price appear on your bill.
No. There will be no change in the consistency or reliability of the electricity coming into your home or business as a result of participating in Newton Power Choice.
Eversource remains responsible for ensuring the uninterrupted delivery of electricity in Newton. Further, they have no preference whether they are your electricity supplier or you choose another supplier. Eversource does not profit from the supply portion of your bill. They make their profit from the delivery portion.
Yes. If you are participating in community solar, or if you are receiving net metering credits or incentive payments for electricity produced by solar panels on your property, you will continue to receive your credits or incentive payments as a participant in Newton Power Choice.
Further, there will be no change in how they are calculated. Their calculation is not connected to your electricity supply price.
However, you could see a benefit. If your electricity supply charge is lower because the Newton Power Choice price is lower than Eversource’s Basic Service price, the credits or incentive payments could go further in offsetting that charge.
Please note, however, that because Eversource’s Basic Service prices change and their future prices are not known, savings compared with Eversource can never be guaranteed.
The Newton Power Choice price for January 2026 – January 2028 is 13.990 ¢/kWh. More details are available on the Pricing page.
To see how much your monthly supply charge will be, use the calculator.
Maybe! According to a report by UMass Amherst, the majority of communities with aggregation programs do see some savings compared with Eversource’s Basic Service prices.
However, Newton Power Choice offers long-term fixed prices, while Eversource’s prices change every 6 months or less. As a result, savings compared with Eversource can never be guaranteed.
If you are not happy with the program, you are always free to leave the program at any time with no fee or penalty.
If you are eligible for any discounts, including a low-income discount or fuel assistance, you will continue to receive that discount with no change.
If you have Eversource’s Budget Billing, it will continue to apply to your total bill.
No. The delivery portion of your electric bill is not impacted by whether or not you participate in Newton Power Choice. These charges are regulated.
