More than 100 people attended the public forum, "Taking Control of Our Energy Supply Through Community Choice Aggregation" Wed., Jan 28 at the Kingston City Hall. The forum was presented by Citizens for Local Power and it was co-sponsored by Catskill Mountainkeeper and Frack Action. The featured speaker was Paul Fenn, Founder and President of California-based, Local Power, Inc. Fenn was the creator of Community Choice Aggregation, or CCA. CCA is a system which allows cities and counties to aggregate the buying power of individual customers within a defined jurisdiction in order to secure alternative energy supply contracts on a community-wide basis. Consumers not wishing to participate are permitted to opt-out. CCAs served nearly five percent of Americans in more than 1,300 municipalities in seven states in 2014. At the forum Wednesday, Fenn discussed how this community-based approach to energy procurement can help ramp up local production of renewable energy, reduce vulnerability to boom and bust fossil fuel prices, avoid expensive new grid investments and create local jobs and local ownership. In December, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo named CCA as one of five key energy initiatives under consideration for New York state. The Public Service Commission is currently accepting comments on the state's Reforming the Energy Vision, or REV, initiative. Citizens for Local Power co-director Jen Metzger spoke about REV, the need for CCA statewide, and provided brief background on her organization. Jessica Barry, also a co-director of Citizens for Local Power, offered an overview of how CCA works and introduced Paul Fenn. Ulster County Legislator Manna Jo Greene moderated the Q&A.Ulster County Legislator Manna Jo Greene moderated a question and answer session.  Information on CCA, local power and REV is available online at Citizens for Local Power [dot] com and Local Power [dot] com.

Audio (Recorded and produced by Sam Sebren.)
PLAY (5:33) Jen Metzger, Co-director, Citizens for Local Power. Introduction: REV, the need for CCA in New York state, brief background of Citizens for Local Power.
PLAY (3:55) Jessica Barry, Co-director, Citizens for Local Power. Overview of how CCA works and introduction of Paul Fenn.
PLAY (4:58) Paul Fenn, Founder and President, Local Power, Inc. The history of energy monopolies and the ties to municipalities, failed regulations, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and CCA.
PLAY (3:44) Paul Fenn. The value of renewables versus coal and gas; preserving monopolies; U.S. energy policy versus other countries.
PLAY (6:06) Paul Fenn. Taking control of rates, how CCA collects data and then designs specific energy plans.
PLAY (37:06) full Paul Fenn presentation.
PLAY (2:14) Manna Jo Greene, Ulster Co. Legislature; Environmental Director, Clearwater. Question and answer period introduction; getting a plan that works.
PLAY (2;28) Q&A Excerpt #1. Question: What are the advantages of CCA over municipally owned power? Answer by Paul Fenn, Jen Metzger.
PLAY (7:44) Q&A Excerpt #2. Question: Where does the money to do this come from? Answer by Paul Fenn.
PLAY (1:11:20) Full Q&A.

Information on upcoming PSC public hearings on REV: allianceforagreeneconomy.org/content/reclaiming-energy-vision