A Message from Commissioner McCosh: We Are Not Forgetting About Long-Term Goals

A weekly message from Commissioner McCosh in support of the local disability community.

Dear Disability Community Members,

I hope you are all doing well and staying safe and healthy as winter begins. With everything now moving indoors, it’s more important than ever to follow public health guidance on COVID-19. We still have a ways to go before the vaccine is fully implemented, so we must remain vigilant with wearing face masks, social distancing, hand washing, and limited gatherings.

Although we are in the midst of a pandemic, the City of Boston is continuing to work on long term goals. On this note, Mayor Walsh has announced a milestone in the City's Climate Action Plan to lower emissions and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 - the launch of a Community Choice Electricity (CCE) program, which allows the City to leverage the collective buying power of Boston's homes and businesses to secure more stable and affordable electricity rates, and more clean power.

The CCE program will officially launch on February 1, 2021 and it will be the largest municipal aggregation program in New England. It will offer three product options for customers: Optional Basic, Standard Product, and Optional Green 100. CCE offers customers flexibility in their electricity choices without any change in delivery or any contractual commitments. Notices have been mailed to residents who are on Eversource Basic Service. Those residents will be automatically enrolled in the program unless they actively choose to opt out.

Beginning today, December 14, the Environment Department is hosting a series of 11 webinars for residents and businesses that will cover how the program works, customer benefits, electric rates and renewable energy offered, key features, and what to expect over the next few months as the program launches. The webinars are available in ten different languages, and will feature ASL and CART. Staff will be available to answer all questions on the program. Please take advantage of these webinars if you have any questions or concerns about this program!

As always, please feel free to reach out to us if you need any information or assistance. You can dial 311 to reach City Hall, or call us at 617-635-3682. Our email is disability@boston.gov and the latest updates are available at www.boston.gov.