BOSTON and HARRISBURG, Pa. (Feb 4, 2025) –– The Retail Energy Supply Association (RESA), the nation’s leading trade association representing competitive retail energy suppliers, issues a response to the disingenuous and questionable methodology in the latest Office of the Attorney General’s ‘report’ on the Commonwealth’s retail energy market.
“For years, we have been subjected to these types of reports touting problematic data used in a flawed methodology from consultants the AG’s office pays to substantiate their story to the public,” said Frank Caliva, national spokesperson for RESA. “What the report shows is an analysis of products, services and terms that are not comparable.”
For example, many retail energy suppliers provide value-added services that utilities do not, including:
- Renewable energy products;
- Long-term contracts with fixed prices;
- Bundled services; or
- REC credits that exceed RPS standards.
Additionally, the report does not take into consideration a number of significant factors, such as:
- The differing time periods over which utilities and suppliers purchase energy;
- Addressing utility-provided energy charges that are artificially low based on indirect cost recovery;
- The impact of the war in Ukraine on natural gas prices; and
- the lingering effects of unpaid electric bills by utility customers dating back to at least 2020 during the height of the pandemic.
An analysis by the My Energy Choice campaign, using data from the Massachusetts energy shopping website and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, found in 2024, fixed retail electricity rates averaged five cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) less than the monthly utility price to compare. Additionally, the average rate for retail green energy offers was almost five cents per kWh lower than the utilities’ collective monthly average rate.
“The same companies that the AG continues to want to put out of business are the same retail electricity suppliers that the AG, the Governor and other consumer advocates hail as the solution for consumers to save money by buying electricity through a municipal aggregation instead of basic service from the utility,” added Caliva. “Instead of continuing to release reports with flawed methodology and narrative, let’s agree it’s time to work together and move forward on protecting the Commonwealth’s consumers through sensible reform that doesn’t eliminate customers’ right to determine their own energy future.”
More than 400,000 Massachusetts customers have opted to pick their own electric supplier. Removing this right, instead of working on solutions, is not what is in the state’s customer’s best interest. RESA remains steadfast in its commitment to work with the AG’s office to address all issues.
ABOUT RESA
RESA is a broad and diverse group of retail energy suppliers who share the common vision that competitive retail electricity and natural gas markets deliver a more efficient, customer-oriented outcome than a regulated utility structure. RESA is devoted to working with all stakeholders to promote vibrant and sustainable competitive retail energy markets for residential and industrial consumers. For more information, visit resausa.org. Follow RESA on LinkedIn and X.
MEDIA CONTACT FOR RESA:
Stacey Gaswirth, Press@resausa.org, 214.213.4675
