NEW ROCHELLE, NY (April 8, 2025) — City staff in New Rochelle have recommended renewing the Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) program with Sustainable Westchester, proposing legislation to continue providing 100% renewable energy to residents and small businesses.
SEE: How Does Sustainable Westchester Get All That Good Green Power to My Home? — They Don’t
The recommendation, presented in a memorandum to City Manager Wilfredo Melendez from Adam Salgado, Commissioner of Development, is part of the agenda for the Committee of the Whole meeting on April 8, 2025. The proposal seeks to extend the city’s participation in the Westchester Power program, managed by Sustainable Westchester, a nonprofit.
New Rochelle first joined the CCA program in 2015 through a City Council resolution, enabling the city to aggregate electricity demand and secure renewable energy. In 2016, the city partnered with Sustainable Westchester to launch the Westchester Power program, which has since supplied renewable energy to municipalities across Westchester County.
Then-Mayor Noam Bramson and Council Member Sara Kaye are under criminal investigation for their roles in these multi-million dollar deals to benefit Sustainable Westchester at the expense of New Rochelle ratepayers while sitting on the non-profits Board of Directors.
“This is an important step for the City of New Rochelle in achieving our sustainability goals,” Salgado wrote in the memorandum.
Salgado is also under criminal investigation for other matters involving the Development Department and the Corporation for Local Development.
Under the current Electric Service Agreement (ESA) with Con Edison, set to expire on November 30, 2025, New Rochelle has been part of the CCA program. The proposed renewal would authorize Sustainable Westchester to supply 100% renewable energy to the city’s default customers from December 1, 2025, through November 30, 2027.
The memorandum outlines two energy options: a 100% renewable plan and a standard plan with 50% renewable energy. Historical rates for Westchester Power show the 100% renewable plan for small residential customers at $0.13288/kWh and $0.13298/kWh for small commercial customers as of November 2024. The standard plan rates were $0.12178/kWh for small residential and $0.12178/kWh for small commercial customers during the same period.
New Rochelle’s default rate under Con Edison was $0.13685/kWh for both small residential and small commercial customers in November 2024. The proposed 2024-2025 contract rates for the 100% renewable plan are $0.145/kWh, slightly higher than the current default but in line with the city’s sustainability objectives.
Residents and businesses would retain the option to opt out of the program and choose their own energy supplier or remain with Con Edison. The memorandum requires Sustainable Westchester to conduct outreach, including a new ESA, to inform the community about the program and the opt-out process.
The recommendation builds on a 2023 memorandum of understanding, aiming to meet the city’s sustainability goals through continued participation in the CCA program. The Committee of the Whole will review the proposal on April 8, 2025, to determine whether to move forward with the legislation.
