Milton residents have until Oct. 31 to weigh in on a revised plan for the town's electricity aggregation program.
The town opened a 30-day public review period on Thursday, Oct. 1, for the updated document governing Milton Community Electricity Aggregation, or Milton CEA. The program, active since September 2021, lets the town negotiate electricity supply rates on behalf of residents and businesses. Eversource still delivers power, restores service during outages and handles billing. The only change under the program is who supplies the electricity and at what price.
Why the plan is changing
The Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (DPU) issued new rules for municipal aggregation programs in July 2024, called Guidelines for Municipal Aggregators. The town's original aggregation plan was approved by the DPU on Dec. 30, 2020. The revised plan brings Milton into compliance with those newer rules.
According to the town, the updated guidelines expand local authority for cities and towns and increase public transparency. The revised plan would let Milton update its format without lengthy DPU approval, strengthen annual performance reporting and expand flexibility to introduce new supply options.
Milton is not alone in this process. Andover is among other Massachusetts municipalities holding similar review periods, also managed by Good Energy, the consultant that runs Milton CEA day to day.
What residents pay now
Milton CEA currently offers three supply tiers with prices fixed through December 2027:
- Milton Green (the default): 13.983 cents per kilowatt-hour, with an additional 10% renewable energy
- Milton Basic: 13.570 cents per kWh, with no additional renewable energy
- Milton 100% Green: 14.859 cents per kWh, reaching 100% renewable energy
Future savings compared to Eversource's Basic Service rate are not guaranteed because Eversource prices change every six months for residential and commercial customers. Eversource also provides a 42% discount to low-income customers that applies to the entire bill, including Milton CEA supply costs.
How enrollment works
Eligible Eversource customers receive an opt-out letter explaining the program. Those who do not opt out are automatically enrolled. Residents who already use a third-party electricity supplier are not eligible for automatic enrollment and may face early termination fees if they switch mid-contract.
Customers who opt out and later want to rejoin may be offered a market price rather than the posted program rate.
The town's CEA website warns residents to watch for look-alike offers and to verify the town seal on any program materials.
How to comment
Residents can review the revised plan and the current plan at MiltonCEA.com or at Town Hall. Written comments can be submitted through the website's comment form or by emailing [email protected] with the subject line "Milton Plan Comments."
The comment period closes Oct. 31. No next steps beyond that deadline have been announced.
