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Aggregating Customers to Buy Green Power
In restructured markets, the aggregation of customers and their electricity demand can create more buying leverage than an individual small customer can. When an aggregation group specifically seeks to buy green power, the size of the group may entice more retail marketers to respond with green power choices and may attract better offers.
Several religious groups have organized to purchase green power both for their church buildings and for individual members of their congregations. In some cases, the churches receive a payment or benefit from the marketer for making it easier to sign up customers. Episcopal Power & Light in California, Partners for Environmental Quality in New Jersey, and Maine Interfaith Power & Light are examples, and are inspiring like-minded groups in Texas, Oregon, Tennessee and other states.
Local governments can procure electric power and related services on behalf of the residents and businesses in their communities. This can help small consumers get the benefits of competition. Massachusetts and Ohio included a provision in their restructuring legislation that allows communities that aggregate to automatically include all residents and businesses, based on a vote of town elected officials. Consumers who don't want to be part of the aggregation can "opt out" and make a different choice on their own. Because the aggregation is a public process and vote, there is an opportunity to request that green power be at least one of the offers.
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