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wittgensteins-boat t1_iva7g6q wrote

Reply to comment by Twombls in New England may not have enough natural gas to last the winter by mycophdstudent

The Massachusetts Dept of Public Utilities regulates according to various statutes.

Electric providers can have long term contracts with fuel providers,
and with consuming electric distribution companies that can slow rate changes.

There are also Municipal electric companies with a different statutory regime.

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Twombls t1_ivaov4l wrote

"Deregulation" or "consumer choice" is just the industry name for their style of consumer energy market

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wittgensteins-boat t1_ive5r51 wrote

Municipalities can own distribution in Massachusetts.

Fortty-one municipal electric companies serve 50 municipalities, out of 351 municipalities in Massachusetts.

Via Mass. Municipal Wholesale Electric company, these municipalities have long term contracts and partial ownership of base load nuclear plants, and conventional fossil fuel plants, peaking plants and Solar production sites and a Hydro Quebec sourcing agreement on power lines MMEC has transport rights for. The MMWEC rates will be steadier and have smaller rise than in commercial electric company territories in Massachusetts. Some Vermont utilities are partners with MMWEC projects.

Massachusetts municipally-owned electric companies. https://www.mass.gov/info-details/massachusetts-municipally-owned-electric-companies.

Mass. Municipal Wholesale Electric Company. https://www.mmwec.org/

Hydro Quebec agreement.

https://www.mmwec.org/wp-content/uploads/DEED-Grants-Announcement-release-final.pdf

Also in the vicinity of 200 of 351 municipalities have engaged in contracts making for longer-term term price stability of more than a year, depending on when the contract was negotiated and whom is the provider, for consumer choice on power providers.

Municipal Aggregation. https://www.mass.gov/info-details/municipal-aggregation.

Separately state-wide there is choice and term of time for power process, in towns without municipal electric companies. This also can give price stability to consumers for a contracted period. Separate Service rates eapply for transport of power.

https://www.energyswitchma.gov.

Then outside of these programs, the default utility has rate setting review via the Mass. Dept. Of Public Utilities.

https://www.mass.gov/info-details/massachusetts-electric-rates-and-tariffs.

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