§ 32-1. Legislative findings; intent and purpose; authority.

A. 

It is the policy of both the Town of Brookhaven (hereinafter the "Town") and the State of New York to reduce costs and provide cost certainty for the purpose of economic development, to promote deeper penetration of energy efficiency and renewable energy resources such as wind and solar, and wider deployment of distributed energy resources as well as to examine the retail energy markets and increase participation of and benefits for eligible consumers in those markets. Among the policies and models that may offer benefits in New York is Community Choice Aggregation ("CCA"), which allows local governments to determine the default supplier of electricity and natural gas on behalf of eligible consumers.

B. 

The purpose of CCA is to allow participating local governments to procure energy supply service for eligible consumers, who will have the opportunity to opt out of the procurement of energy supply, while maintaining transmission and distribution service from the existing distribution utility. This chapter establishes a program ("CCA Program") that will allow the Town of Brookhaven and other local governments to work together through a shared purchasing model to put out for bid the total amount of natural gas and/or electricity being purchased by eligible consumers within the jurisdictional boundaries of participating municipalities. Eligible consumers will have the opportunity to have more control to lower their overall energy costs, to spur clean energy innovation and investment, to improve customer choice and value, and to protect the environment, thereby fulfilling the purposes of this chapter and fulfilling an important public purpose.

C. 

The Town is authorized to implement this CCA Program pursuant to Section 10(1)(ii)a(12) of the New York Municipal Home Rule Law; and as part of New York State's Reforming the Energy Vision (REV), the New York State Public Service Commission (PSC), on April 21, 2016, adopted an order in PSC Case No. 14-M-0224 authorizing cities, towns, and villages within the state to create Community Choice Aggregation Programs, by themselves or in concert with other municipalities, and/or to retain a CCA Administrator to implement the program and negotiate energy supply agreements (ESAs).

D. 

This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the "Community Choice Aggregation Energy Program Law of the Town of Brookhaven."