Renewable Energy Content
| Year | Required MA Class I | Required Other Renewables | Voluntary MA Class I Renewables added by Hamilton CCA | Total Renewables | |
| Hamilton Basic | 2025 | 27% | 36% | - | 63% |
| 2026 | 24% | 38% | - | 69% | |
| 2027 | 33% | 39% | - | 75% | |
| 2028 | 36% | 45% | - | 81% | |
| 2029 | 39% | 48% | - | 87% | |
| Hamilton Standard | 2025 | 27% | 36% | 5% | 68% |
| 2026 | 24% | 38% | 5% | 74% | |
| 2027 | 33% | 39% | 5% | 80% | |
| 2028 | 36% | 45% | 5% | 86% | |
| 2029 | 39% | 48% | 5% | 92% | |
| Hamilton Plus | 2025 | 27% | 36% | 37% | 100% |
| 2026 | 24% | 38% | 31% | 100% | |
| 2027 | 33% | 39% | 25% | 100% | |
| 2028 | 36% | 45% | 19% | 100% | |
| 2029 | 39% | 48% | 13% | 100% | |
| National Grid Basic Service | 2025 | 27% | – | - | 63% |
| 2026 | 24% | 38% | - | 69% | |
| 2027 | 33% | 39% | - | 75% | |
| 2028 | 36% | 45% | - | 81% | |
| 2029 | 39% | 48% | - | 87% |
Prices for all program options in the Hamilton Program include a 0.001 ¢/kWh administration fee. Program prices could increase as a result of a change in law that results in a direct, material increase in costs during the term of the electricity supply agreement. Program prices apply only to the electricity supply portion of your National Grid electric bill. Delivery charges on your National Grid electric bill are not affected by the Hamilton program.
Future savings against National Grid’s fixed Basic Service rate cannot be guaranteed because National Grid’s rates change every six months for residential and commercial customers and every three months for industrial customers. For Commercial and Industrial National Grid Basic Service Rates please check out the National Grid supply rates page.
If you participate in Hamilton’s Program, you will be automatically enrolled at a new price at the end of the contract term, unless you inform the Town otherwise. The new price may be higher or lower than the existing price and the voluntary renewable energy content may change. The Town will contact you no later than 30 days before each automatic renewal to notify you of your supply options.
MA Class I renewables are from new, regional sources (i.e. generation located within, or delivered to, New England, built after 1997). For details on all required renewable resources, see www.mass.gov/service-details/program-summaries.
Hamilton CCA is committed to supporting the growth of new renewable energy in our region. The state of Massachusetts has progressive policies that require everyone to use more renewable energy over time, however, the pace of change needs to be faster to mitigate the effects of climate change. Hamilton CCA is leveraging the buying power of our community to bring more clean electricity to our residents and businesses.
A Green Option for Everyone
Hamilton’s’ standard option, Hamilton Standard, includes five (5) percent extra renewable electricity, above and beyond State requirements. See the State’s renewable energy requirements.
In Hamilton CCA, all purchases of renewable electricity are certified by purchasing and retiring Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs), the accepted legal instrument used to track renewable energy generation and to substantiate claims of renewable energy use. Read on to learn more about why we need RECs.
Participating in Hamilton Standard makes you a climate leader, however, the Program also offers another electricity option, Hamilton Plus, that includes clean energy to total one hundred (100) percent of a customer’s electricity consumption, letting you take an even bigger step in the fight against climate change.
Sign Up for 100% renewable electricity!
Buying from New England, Buying Renewables
All of the extra renewable energy in the Hamilton CCA program qualifies as MA Class I, and is provided through the local non-profit, Green Energy Consumers Alliance. Purchasing through Green Energy Consumers Alliance provides two important benefits for our renewable energy:
Only New England Sources
MA Class I renewable energy can come from New England or adjacent parts of Canada and New York. Hamilton CCA exclusively sources its extra renewable energy from within New England. We’re helping to keep our energy impact local, supporting New England’s clean energy economy. See below for a map of sources.
Only Zero-Emission or Methane-Destroying Sources
Hamilton CCA’s extra renewable electricity only comes from zero emission sources, such as solar, wind, low impact hydropower2, and sources that destroy methane, such as anaerobic digestion. Methane has a global warming potential (GWP) 28-36 times greater than CO2 over a 100 year period3. Combustion destroys methane and releases some CO2, resulting in a net reduction in GWP. Other forms of biomass are explicitly not purchased, due to their positive emissions of CO2 during their life cycles.
Green Energy Consumers Alliance helps bring new renewable projects to New England through strategic support of development opportunities with short and long-term contracts. The map below shows the sources from which Green Energy Consumers Alliance has been purchasing as of April 2025.
Helping to Build Clean Energy
Massachusetts requires all energy suppliers to include a minimum amount of MA Class I renewable energy that increases annually. If the supplier does not meet these requirements, the supplier is required to pay a penalty. This policy, called the Renewable Portfolio Standard, provides growing demand for renewable energy, which incentivizes new renewable generation facilities to be built. By purchasing a significant quantity of extra MA Class I renewable energy, Hamilton is incentivizing even more renewable energy generation development in New England.
How big is our impact?
Since December 2018, Hamilton CCA purchased about 1,645 of extra MA Class I renewable energy, above and beyond state requirements. That’s equivalent to 3,802 solar panels (370W) working for a year to generate the extra renewable electricity. Participants who sign up for Local 100% Green help our region increase the development of renewables and further decrease our reliance on fossil fuels!
Many other cities and towns are joining with Hamilton to implement the same type of electricity aggregation program, amplifying the impact on the renewable electricity market. In fact, recent estimates suggest that fully 10% of the entire MA Class I markets will soon be voluntarily purchased by municipal aggregations, like Hamilton CCA, going above and beyond state requirements.
What Are RECs and Why We Need Them
When electricity generated by renewable sources – such as solar and wind – is put onto our regional electricity grid, it becomes mixed in with and indistinguishable from other electricity on the grid. It is not possible to physically separate out renewable electricity from the grid mix for your individual consumption.
As a result, a tracking system, called Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs), has been created to enable the purchase and use of renewable electricity. For every one megawatt-hour (mWh) of renewable electricity generated, one REC is created. In order to use renewable electricity, one must purchase a quantity of RECs equal to the amount of electricity purchased from the grid. Once used, a REC is retired so that no one else can purchase that same REC or claim to use it.
1Future savings compared to National Grid Basic Service cannot be guaranteed because future Basic Service prices change every six months for residential and commercial customers and every three months for industrial customers.
2Hydro projects that do not exceed 30 MW built after 1997 or have capacity additions or efficiency improvements made after 1997 (MA Class I eligible), and Low Impact Hydro Institute (LIHI) certified.
3Environmental Protection Agency. Understanding Global Warming Potentials. https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/understanding-global-warming-potentials