Municipal Energy Aggregation

Since 2018 South Orange has joined together with several other towns as the Sustainable Essex Alliance to put our collective purchasing power to work to provide cleaner, greener electricity to our residents at competitive, if not lower, prices. 

The first contract came to an end in December of 2020. Now the original SEA member towns of Glen Ridge, Maplewood, Montclair, South Orange, and Verona are joined by Glen Rock and Livingston for a new 17-month contract beginning in April of 2021 with third-party provider Energy Harbor. This contract has two options: the default option that everyone will automatically receive or a 100% renewable energy option that residents must choose.

Energy Harbor Default Option

  • $.12696/kWh
  • 40% renewable energy content (nearly double the renewable energy content required of PSE&G)

Energy Harbor 100% Renewable Option

  • $.13437/kWh 
  • Opt-up to a 100% renewable energy product 

 The price of $0.12696 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) is below the current average PSE&G Basic Generation Service tariff price for power supply. While the net PSE&G price-to-compare does fluctuate on a monthly basis (as compared to the steady and predictable price for the SEA program contract), and therefore actual savings will vary by month and cannot be guaranteed, the typical resident in South Orange and the other SEA-participating municipalities is still projected to save about $20 over the full contract as compared to the average PSE&G tariff price-to-compare over that period

 Opt-Out, Opt-Up - What Do I Have To Do?

Nothing, if you want to receive the default option. You will be automatically enrolled in the SEA R-GEA program unless you submit an “opt-out” request during the 30-day opt-out period, which ends March 7, 2021. 

If you want the 100% renewable energy option you must “opt-up” during the 30-day period, which ends March 7, 2021. 

Opt-up or opt-out in one of three ways:

  1. Sign and return the postage-paid card in the letter you received from South Orange/Energy Harbor.
  2. Call Energy Harbor toll-free at 1-866-636-3749 by March 7, 2021. 
  3. Email the Village’s Energy Consultant at  www.gabelassociates.com/GEA or sea-info@gabelassociates.com.

If you do not opt-out by March 7, 2021, you will be enrolled; however, you may still leave the SEA R-GEA program at any time thereafter.

Public Information Session on Energy Aggregation

Video Recorded on February 18, 2021