By Nick Grabbe

We were well on our way to a fossil-fuel-free future. Now, with Valley Green Energy, we can take the next step.

We installed solar panels on our roofs last year, and have enjoyed seeing many of our Eversource bills read “No Payment Due.” This year, we ditched our oil furnace and installed heat pumps for heating, cooling and hot water. We have a plug-in hybrid Prius that is powered by our solar panels on local trips.

Climate change is an existential issue for our planet, and we want to minimize our production of greenhouse gasses. Until there are strong governmental regulations, we believe that it’s up to all of us to do what we can to reduce our fossil-fuel consumption.

That’s where Valley Green Energy comes in. It’s an agreement between Amherst, Pelham, and Northampton to come together to supply electricity to residents. The Amherst Planning Department has been getting calls from residents asking if it’s a scam. It’s not.

Here’s what the program will do:

• It will slightly reduce the price of electricity (from Eversource’s 14.023 cents per kilowatt hour to 13.994 cents) if residents do not opt out, and increase the percentage coming from renewable sources.
• It will give homeowners the option of getting 100 percent of their electricity from solar and wind, at a higher rate of 16.474 cents per kilowatt hour.
• It will guarantee these prices for two years, whereas Eversource’s prices can change every six months.
• It will also offer a “basic” option at 13.594 cents per kilowatt hour, with renewables at the state minimum.

Amherst and Pelham Eversource customers will automatically be enrolled in the 13.994 cents “Standard Green” program unless they request to either opt out, thus keeping the status quo, or select one of the two options. The phone number for questions, opting out, or choosing an option is 844-202-6033; you can learn more here.

Eversource will still send out bills and residents will still make payments to them, and you can still call Eversource if the power goes out. Enrolling in Valley Green Energy will not affect low-income discounts, fuel assistance, or solar credits or incentive payments.

Renewable energy is growing faster than expected, with prices that are decreasing. But higher demand for electricity worldwide is canceling out most of those gains, according to a Wall Street Journal story last week.

Data centers use a lot of juice, and developing countries have a pent-up demand for energy. Meanwhile, many consumers are reluctant to abandon fossil fuels, businesses resist government regulations, and many politicians are abandoning their climate goals. Ford, General Motors and Volvo have cut back on their plans for electric vehicles, according to the Journal story.

Greenhouse gas emissions are at record levels. 2024 will be the hottest year on record, and many utilities are continuing, or even increasing, the burning of fossil fuels to meet the surging demand for electricity. As human-caused climate change accelerates, we’re seeing more floods and heat waves. Florida has been hit by five major hurricanes in the past six years, including Helene, which hit last week and caused major damage throughout the Southeast.

Our household was fortunate to be able to afford solar panels and heat pumps, which are not an option for renters. But for many homeowners, solar panels will more than pay for themselves over time, and they come with tax credits and increase property values. Heat pumps are even more affordable; we got a zero-interest loan to pay for them, and expect to get a $10,000 rebate and tax credits.

Beyond the financial benefits, these technologies give us a sense of doing something, albeit small, about the climate crisis.

We will go with the 100 percent renewable option from Valley Green Energy. That’s an easy choice for us, because even though it’s more expensive, most of our electricity will be provided by our solar panels.

It’s very difficult to achieve zero impact on climate change, because of all the energy it takes to grow, process and transport our food, some of which comes in plastic packaging. And that’s just a start, when we’re all enmeshed in a fossil fuel-based economy. But with the help of Valley Green Energy, we can reduce our contribution to climate change.

For most of us, Valley Green Energy represents a major step forward in saving money while promoting the infrastructure for renewables by increasing demand for them.

Nick Grabbe is a co-founder of The Amherst Current. He has been a resident of Amherst for nearly 40 years and served as writer and editor for the Amherst Bulletin and the Daily Hampshire Gazette 1980-2013.