A communication transmitted from Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager, relative to Awaiting Report Item Number 18-98, regarding outreach related to Cambridge Community Electricity 100% Green Program during Energy Awareness Month

C I T Y O F C A M B R I D G E Community Development Department IRAM FAROOQ Assistant City Manager for Community Development SANDRA CLARKE Deputy Director Chief of Administration KHALIL MOGASSABI Deputy Director Chief of Planning 344 Broadway Cambridge, MA 02139 Voice: [phone removed] Fax: [phone removed] TTY: [phone removed] www.cambridgema.gov To: Louis A. DePasquale, City Manager From: Iram Farooq, Assistant City Manager for Community Development Re: Awaiting Report 18-98 dated 9/24/18 regarding outreach related to Cambridge Community Electricity 100% Green Program during Energy Awareness Month Date: November 6, 2018 In response to the above-mentioned Awaiting Report 18-98, we submit the following. The Cambridge Community Electricity Program (formally known as a municipal aggregation by state law) was approved by the state Department of Public Utilities and launched in July 2017. All residential and commercial Basic Service electricity customers in Cambridge were automatically enrolled in the Standard Green electricity offering, with the ability to opt out as required by state law. The Standard Green electricity supply has a higher content of solar electricity than Basic Service. This is achieved through the purchase of solar renewable electricity credits (SRECs) from local solar projects. Customers in the aggregation can also elect to increase their renewable electricity through the 100% Green offering, which provides 100% renewable electricity though the purchase of Massachusetts Class I Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs). Program Launch Outreach At the launch of the Cambridge Community Electricity Program, the Community Development Department, through its Cambridge Energy Alliance (CEA) and the City’s aggregation consultant, Peregrine Energy, engaged in the following community outreach: • Letter to every Basic Service electricity customer in Cambridge (not including customers who currently had a competitive supply agreement with another competitive electricity supplier). • Program specific website, which included information in English and four additional languages. Customer service is also available by phone in multiple languages. • Three public meetings, including two that were held at senior centers. • Message about the program inserted into every Cambridge water bill. • Press release and social media posts encouraging residents to enroll in a Community Electricity Program. • City Hall Lawn sign, specifically promoting the 100% Green option. • Utilized the City’s Community Engagement Team to promote general program understanding and the 100% Green option to underserved and multi-lingual community members; outreach fliers were provided to the CET in English and in Spanish, Haitian Creole, Amharic and Bangla. • Presented to Mothers Out Front members at a special meeting dedicated to 100% Green. Post-Launch Outreach After the initial launch, we continued outreach via the following channels: • Coordinated with the Department of Public Works to rotate the City Hall lawn sign about 100% Green to additional locations around Cambridge including the Alewife

Page 2 of 2 Brook Parkway, the Harvard Underpass, St. Peter’s Field, and River and Western Avenue. The sign will continue to be used periodically to advertise the program. • Updated program website to offer online enrollment in 100% Green. • Distributed fliers about 100% Green at high traffic locations throughout the City, including City Hall, CDD, Senior Centers, and the Consumers Council. • Engaged in community member conversations at more than 20 tabling events during the year, ranging from Fresh Pond Day to family STEAM nights at Cambridge Public Schools. • CEA’s five MSYEP summer interns engaged Cambridge residents and small businesses in over 100 conversations about 100%. • Installed posters at BLUEbikes stations throughout the City. • Issued an additional press release specifically highlighting the 100% Green Option. National Energy Awareness Month In October 2018, during National Energy Awareness Month we partnered with local non- profits to increase outreach around the 100% Green option: • Posted weekly on social media, including a joint photo/post with the local energy efficiency company Sense, in support of #EnergyEfficiencyDay. • Co-hosted a street banner in Harvard Square in coordination with Mother’s Out Front, Green Cambridge, Neighborhood Solar and 350 Mass. • Coordinated a door-to-door campaign with Mother’s Out Front, Green Cambridge, Neighborhood Solar and 350 Mass volunteers, which connected with over 100 Cambridge residents. In addition, these community organizations promoted 100% Green through emails, social media, member newsletters and tabling. Since the program’s launch, these outreach efforts have resulted in an over 33% increase in enrollment in the 100% Green option. The Community Development Department and CEA will continue outreach efforts regarding the 100% Green Program and energy efficiency options. The aggregation currently serves almost 39,000 Cambridge electricity customers: 34,000 households, 4,750 small businesses, and 119 large businesses. One of the goals of the project was to ensure that it would provide financial savings for Cambridge ratepayers over the life of the contract. In the first 12 months, the program saved customers over $5 million and reduced emissions by 3.7 million pounds of carbon dioxide. This is a much higher level of savings than aggregations typically produce. Next Steps The initial electricity supply contract for the aggregation extends through the January 2019 billing cycle: the city is currently seeking bids for a new supply contract. We anticipate that the new aggregation will be similar to the existing program, offering a Standard and a 100% Green product. Once a new supply contract is in place, the Community Development Department will plan and implement a comprehensive outreach program focused on both products.