Westchester Launches $4/Month Clean Energy Program

Westchester County residents who felt powerless after losing their Community Choice Aggregation program now have a simple new way to fund renewable energy without changing utilities or installing solar panels.

Sustainable Westchester just launched Green My Power, a subscription service that lets anyone contribute to clean energy for as little as $4 per month. Apartment dwellers pay $4 monthly to fund 1,000 kilowatt hours of renewable energy certificates. Typical homeowners pay $6 for the same amount, while larger homes subscribe for $12.

The program arrives at a crucial time. Last fall, the decade-old Community Choice Aggregation initiative ended suddenly, leaving over 130,000 homes and small businesses without their preferred clean energy option. That program had reduced greenhouse gas emissions by more than 1.5 million metric tons across 29 Westchester communities.

Dan Welsh, director of Green My Power, calls it "a simple way for people to get back on the renewable energy horse." The subscriptions purchase renewable energy certificates, which represent clean power injected into the grid by wind and solar generators. Anyone can sign up online with a simple form and cancel anytime.

The cost breaks down to about a penny per kilowatt hour. Welsh points out subscribers can double their impact by pairing Green My Power with community solar programs, essentially canceling out the subscription cost while supporting renewable energy twice over.

Subscribers get access to a personal portal tracking their month-by-month contributions, complete with registration numbers showing exactly how their money supports clean energy. The program serves residents, businesses, and even municipalities across the county.

The Ripple Effect

Sustainable Westchester, the nonprofit behind Green My Power, represents 44 municipalities plus the county itself. The organization runs multiple environmental programs beyond renewable energy certificates, including solar installations for homes and businesses, electric vehicle charging stations, building decarbonization projects, and home energy assessments.

The new program removes barriers that kept people from supporting clean energy. No special equipment, no complicated contracts, no switching utility providers. Just a monthly subscription that funds wind and solar power flowing into the grid everyone uses.

With energy markets creating unpredictable utility bills nationwide, Green My Power offers a straightforward path for households and businesses to make a measurable climate impact. Welsh presented the program to the Bedford Town Board in August, emphasizing its simplicity and accessibility for communities ready to rejoin the clean energy movement.

Small monthly contributions from thousands of subscribers could generate significant demand for renewable energy across the region, pushing utilities to increase their clean power supply.