So I just got this renewal notice for my Energy Service Company (ESCO) and decided its necessary for a quick thread on ESCOs and why we need #PublicPower

ESCOs are are supposed to be alternatives to the one monopoly investor owned utility (IOU), in Brooklyn that's Con Edison 1/

Con Ed calls this Program "Power Your Way" it started in 1996 for gas and 1998 for electric customers in New York after energy markets were deregulated.

This was supposed to be a counter to the monopoly utility status that the IOUs had, and be a win for ratepayers 2/

Today in Brooklyn alone there are 74 ESCOs offering service in addition to Con Ed--great 75 options for energy right? Well no, almost all 74 of the ESCOs are subsidiaries of fossil fuel companies, almost all of their business models are predicated on expanding fossil fuels 3/

My ESCO rate last year through Clean Choice Energy was a fixed rate of 11.4 cents per kilowatt.

This meant we paid more each month last yr (except June) for this ESCO than Con Ed, but this felt worthwhile since cleanchoice is basically the only escos that is 100% renewable 4/

Now back to my renewal notice, it says nothing of my current rate. Only says I have opportunity for new rate of 13.8 cents/kWh.

That's a 21% increase on my current bill!

But it gets worse if I don't mail back this form my new rate will be 20.1 cents/kWh, A 76% increase! 5/

This means, while already paying more than a regular Con Ed customer due to choosing renewables, I will now pay over 20% more on top if I stick with this ESCO.

Now you may be saying like me how is this real, aren't renewable prices going down to record levels daily? 6/

The answer is yes renewables are cheaper than ever, but that doesn't matter for ESCOs their per kwh cost is based off of market clearing price not off generators' cost of running.

Additionally like IOUs, ESCOs are for profit businesses, they need profits and growth to survive 7/

Now you may be saying well ok dump this ESCO that's the "Power Your Way" as Con Ed would say, go shopping.

The problem is of the 74 ESCOs as mentioned before almost all tied to fossil fuel companies and all take part in same bait and switch predatory behavior as mine now 8/

So you might be asking what is an alternative then--good question!

The problem is that ESCOs are suppposed to be the alternative to IOUs, they are supposed to be the thing that keeps the IOUs in check, even the governor knows how predatory they are 9/ https://www.cityandstateny.com/articles/policy/energy-environment/energetic-change-cuomo-takes-aim-escos.html

And this year just like every year we saw how poorly our IOUs can handle the current climate much less the coming climate crisis. When pressed for answers they offered more of the same--the reason being their profits and shareholders come first 10/ https://twitter.com/NYCDSA_Climate/status/1296467991870287874

This is why we need publicly owned, democratically controlled, 100% renewable energy!

A08937 and S7243 in the State Assembly and Senate get us there, they utilize the New York Power Authority (NYPA) to do so.

NYPA is the largest publicly owned utility in the country 11/

NYPA is 83% renewable (though from largescale hydro), generates about half of NY State capacity on a normal day and 1/4 on a peak day, and has 1/3 infrastructure transmission network for NY State.

Their electricity keeps the subways going

Yet, they cant own new renewables 12/

The #PublicPower Bills allow NYPA to own new renewable electricty generation, meeting the needs & scale of the CLCPA mandate for NY to be 70% renewable generation by 2030 and 100% by 2040. It allows NYPA to sell energy directly to customers at rates lower than the local IOU. 13/

It also bans for profit ESCOS meaning instead of 75 options, almost all tied to fossil fuel industry, you have a) a nonprofit community energy project or CCA, b) NYPA 100% Renewable at rates cheaper than the local IOU or c) the local IOU predicated on fossil fuels and profits 14/

Publicly owned, democratically controlled, 100% renewable utilities are what we need to achieve a Green New Deal, join http://publicpower.nyc  to help get there. 15/

and just called them to cancel and now they are renewing me for under the current rate and below con eds rate! Great for me, but also shouldnt be predicated on making these calls and having these available only when cancelation on horizon, should be available from start 16/