Please leave this field empty
Donate Monthly Make a Gift Renew Your Membership Ways to Give
Food & Water Watch Food & Water Watch Food & Water Watch
  • About
  • Problems
  • Campaigns
  • Impacts
  • Research
  • Contact
Donate Monthly Make a Gift Renew Your Membership Ways to Give
  • facebook
  • twitter
Please leave this field empty
Food & Water Watch Food & Water Watch
$
Menu
  • About
  • News
  • Research Library
  • Contact
  • Careers
  • Donate
Search
Please leave this field empty
  • facebook
  • twitter

Legislation Introduced to Allow Communities Local Control Over Electricity Purchases

Delegate Lorig Charkoudian (D-20) and Senator Mary Washington (D-43) have introduced legislation authorizing the creation of Community Choice Aggregators in Maryland.

  • facebook
  • twitter
  • google-plus
  • envelope

We all need safe food and clean water.

Donate
Maryland Capitol
02.7.19

Eight states allow Community Choice Aggregation (CCA), a policy that allows local governments to purchase and/or generate cleaner and cheaper electricity on behalf of their residents and businesses. Under the legislation, a local incorporated government or group of governments can decide to form an Aggregator through an ordinance. Once formed the Aggregator then acts on behalf of its members to negotiate the purchase of electricity from a provider.

The original focus of CCA policy was on reduced and stabilized rates for their members. Because the CCA is negotiating a bulk purchase on behalf of its members, CCAs generally receive lower rates for ratepayers than they received with their utility. More recently CCAs have become more focused on expanding renewable electricity. This is especially important in light of a study released earlier this year revealing that Maryland’s “Renewable Portfolio Standard” includes forms of energy that are far from clean.

“Community Choice Aggregation is a tool that local governments can decide to use that will allow them to speed their transition to renewable energy,” said Delegate Lorig Charkoudian. “We must do everything we can to empower all levels of government to react to the threats of climate change – and that includes giving them the authority to direct their own electricity mix.”

“This innovative policy solution places power in the hands of communities to negotiate better prices with energy providers, while allowing us to generate more affordable clean, renewable electricity directly for our residents and businesses,” said Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich. “Creating a Community Choice Aggregator will also help meet our ambitious greenhouse gas reduction goals for the County.”

The legislation does not require the establishment of Community Choice Aggregators, but simply gives them the legal authority to do so.

“The real benefit of Community Choice Aggregation is that it gives communities local control of their electricity supply,” said Senator Mary Washington. “This allows them to seek lower and more stable rates for their residents. The added benefit is that these lower rates can be achieved while also protecting the environment by increasing the purchase of renewable electricity.”

“We applaud Delegate Charkoudian and Senator Washington for introducing this legislation,” said Mitch Jones, Senior Policy Advocate at Food & Water Watch. “We look forward to working with them to pass this vital legislation to give local control to communities that seek cleaner, cheaper electricity for their residents as Maryland moves rapidly to 100 percent renewable electricty.”

###


Food & Water Watch champions healthy food and clean water for all. We stand up to corporations that put profits before people, and advocate for a democracy that improves people’s lives and protects our environment.

 

 

Printer-friendly versionPrinter-friendly version

Monsanto's Roundup is a "probable human carcinogen." We need to ban it!

Get the latest on your food and water with news, research and urgent actions.

Please leave this field empty

Latest News

  • Trump’s Out, Biden’s In! Now The Fight Of Our Lives On Climate Begins.

    Trump’s Out, Biden’s In! Now The Fight Of Our Lives On Climate Begins.

  • Biden’s 100-Day Must-Do List for a Cleaner, Healthier Country

    Biden’s 100-Day Must-Do List for a Cleaner, Healthier Country

  • Fracking, Federal Lands, And Follow-Through: Will President Biden Do What He Promised?

    Fracking, Federal Lands, And Follow-Through: Will President Biden Do What He Promised?

See More News & Opinions

For Media: See our latest press releases and statements

Food & Water Insights

Looking for more insights and our latest research?

Visit our policy & research library
  • Renewable Natural Gas: Same Ol' Climate-Polluting Methane, Cleaner-Sounding Name

  • The Case to Ban Fracking on Federal Lands

  • Dangerously Deep: Fracking’s Threat to Human Health

Fracking activist with stickersFracking activist in hatLegal team loves family farmsFood & Water Watch organizer protecting your food

Work locally, make a difference.

Get active in your community.

Food & Water Impact

  • Victories
  • Stories
  • Facts
  • Trump, Here's a Better Use for $25 Billion

  • Here's How We're Going to Build the Clean Energy Revolution

  • How a California Activist Learned to Think Locally

Keep drinking water safe and affordable for everyone.

Take Action
food & water watch logo
en Español

Food & Water Watch mobilizes regular people to build political power to move bold & uncompromised solutions to the most pressing food, water, and climate problems of our time. We work to protect people’s health, communities, and democracy from the growing destructive power of the most powerful economic interests.

Food & Water Watch is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.

Food & Water Action is a 501(c)4 organization.

Food & Water Watch Headquarters

1616 P Street, NW,
Washington, DC 20036

Main: 202.683.2500

Contact your regional office.

Work with us: See all job openings

  • Problems
    • Broken Democracy
    • Climate Change & Environment
    • Corporate Control of Food
    • Corporate Control of Water
    • Factory Farming & Food Safety
    • Fracking
    • GMOs
    • Global Trade
    • Pollution Trading
  • Solutions
    • Advocate Fair Policies
    • Legal Action
    • Organizing for Change
    • Research & Policy Analysis
  • Our Impact
    • Facts
    • Stories
    • Victories
  • Take Action
    • Get Active Where You Live
    • Organizing Tools
    • Find an Event
    • Volunteer with Us
    • Live Healthy
    • Donate
  • Give
    • Give Now
    • Give Monthly
    • Give a Gift Membership
    • Membership Options
    • Fundraise
    • Workplace Giving
    • Planned Giving
    • Other Ways to Give
  • About
  • News
  • Research Library
  • Contact
  • Careers
  • Donate
Learn more about Food & Water Action www.foodandwateraction.org.
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • 2021 © Food & Water Watch
  • www.foodandwaterwatch.org
  • Terms of Service
  • Data Usage Policy