New Quincy customers have until March 7 to opt out of city’s electric aggregation program

QUINCY — People who recently moved in Quincy or are new to living in Quincy have until March 7 to opt out of the city’s Municipal Aggregation Electricity Program.

People who do not opt out before that date will have been deemed to have authorized and agreed to be enrolled in the program. All residents of Quincy can opt out at any time, but only new residents or people who moved have the March 7 deadline. Also, people who opted out previously do not need to opt out again.

The city selected Constellation New Energy as its supplier for the city’s electric aggregation program. Constellation’s fixed rate of 12.065 cents is set through October. The fixed rate does not include taxes or Ameren distribution fees. 

A letter from Constellation to selected customers in Quincy said Ameren’s base rate for its electric supply was 8.683 cents per kilowatt hour as of Jan. 1, 2024. That price will expire on May 31.

Reg Ankrom is the president of SIMEC Energy, a consultant to the city for its electric aggregation program. He said a new contract with Ameren will be set on June 1. That contract will be in place until December 2024 before Ameren can adjust its rate again.

“They may or may not (adjust the rate), but it will be in place for at least six months and possibly 12,” Ankrom said Wednesday. “The annual adjustment takes place in June.”

When Constellation last set its rate, Ankrom said market rates were between 14 and 16 cents per kilowatt hour.

“A number of brokers in the state had already found 12-cent rates,” he said. “We thought it was a good rate. We didn’t realize that it would go down.”

As the city’s consultant, Ankrom says he’s not allowed by law to tell people what to do.

“But we can provide information,” he said. “Our expectation is that the Ameren rate will not exceed the Constellation rate.”

To opt out of the Municipal Aggregation Electricity Program, contact Constellation at 800-990-2004.

EDITOR’S NOTE: The customers who must call Constellation by March 7 is clarified from a previous version of this story.