Info sessions slated for power program – Duxbury Clipper

Report on the Duxbury Community Choice Power Supply Program Initiative

Program Overview and Strategic Objectives

The Town of Duxbury is set to launch its Community Choice Power Supply Program, a strategic initiative designed to aggregate the purchasing power of residents and businesses for the procurement of electricity from an alternative supplier. This program is scheduled to commence with the December 2025 meter reading cycle.

• Program Goal: To provide stable, affordable, and sustainable electricity options for the community.
• Implementation Model: The program will operate on an opt-out basis, automatically enrolling all eligible residents and businesses unless they formally decline participation.
• Utility Partnership: Eversource will maintain its role in the delivery of electricity and will continue to manage all customer billing and service inquiries, ensuring a seamless transition and operational continuity.

Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The Duxbury Community Choice Power Supply Program is fundamentally aligned with several key United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), reflecting a commitment to local action for global sustainability.

1. SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy: The program directly addresses Target 7.1 and 7.2 by ensuring access to affordable and reliable energy while significantly increasing the share of renewable energy in the local energy mix. The provision of three distinct product tiers allows consumers to choose their level of investment in clean energy.
2. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities: By implementing a community-wide program that promotes renewable energy, Duxbury is taking a critical step towards making the town more inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable, in line with Target 11.6 to reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities.
3. SDG 13: Climate Action: This initiative is a direct measure to combat climate change and its impacts. By facilitating a large-scale shift to electricity from renewable sources, the program contributes to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, supporting the core objective of SDG 13.
4. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals: The program exemplifies a multi-stakeholder partnership, involving the Town of Duxbury, its residents, the business community, Colonial Power Group, and the incumbent utility, Eversource. This collaboration is essential for achieving sustainable development outcomes.

Public Engagement and Information Dissemination

To ensure transparency and facilitate community understanding, two public information sessions have been scheduled. These meetings will provide a platform for residents and stakeholders to engage with town representatives and staff from the Colonial Power Group.

• Session 1: November 5, 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. at the Senior Center.
• Session 2: November 6, 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. at the Senior Center.

Comprehensive details regarding the program are available for public review on the Alternative Energy Committee’s page, accessible through the official Town of Duxbury website.

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The article on Duxbury’s Community Choice Power Supply Program connects to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by focusing on the transition to renewable energy, ensuring affordability, and promoting community-level climate action.

• SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy: This is the most directly relevant SDG. The program’s core purpose is to provide residents and businesses with “stable and affordable electricity” while also offering options with “varying amounts of renewable energy content.”
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities: The initiative is a town-level program aimed at making the community of Duxbury more sustainable. By collectively purchasing electricity with higher renewable content, the town is taking a step to reduce its overall environmental footprint.
• SDG 13: Climate Action: By facilitating a switch to electricity from an “alternative supplier” with renewable energy options, the program directly contributes to climate change mitigation. Increasing the use of renewable energy is a key strategy for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the program’s description, several specific SDG targets can be identified:

1. SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

   • Target 7.1: By 2030, ensure universal access to affordable, reliable and modern energy services. The article directly addresses this by stating the program aims to provide “stable and affordable electricity.”
   • Target 7.2: By 2030, increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix. The program’s offering of “three products with varying amounts of renewable energy content” is a direct action towards achieving this target at a local level.

2. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

   • Target 11.6: By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities. By promoting the adoption of renewable energy, the Duxbury program helps reduce the environmental impact associated with fossil fuel-based electricity generation, thus contributing to this target.

3. SDG 13: Climate Action

   • Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning. This program represents the integration of climate action measures into local town-level planning and strategy, as it is an initiative from the “Town of Duxbury” and its “Alternative Energy Committee.”

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

The article implies several indicators that could be used to measure the program’s success and its contribution to the identified targets:

• Indicator for Target 7.1 (Affordability): The electricity rate offered by the program. Progress could be measured by comparing the program’s electricity price to the standard utility (Eversource) price to determine if it is indeed “affordable.”
• Indicator for Target 7.2 (Renewable Energy Share): The percentage of renewable energy in the electricity supply. The article mentions “varying amounts of renewable energy content,” which directly implies that the percentage of renewables in each of the three products offered is a key metric for measuring progress.
• Indicator for Target 13.2 (Climate Action Integration): The rate of participation in the program. Since residents are automatically enrolled but can opt-out, the number or percentage of households and businesses that remain in the program (especially those choosing higher renewable content options) can serve as an indicator of the community’s adoption of this climate action measure.

4. Create a table with three columns titled ‘SDGs, Targets and Indicators” to present the findings from analyzing the article.

Source: duxburyclipper.com