To the Editor:

As a long-time resident of Canton, I want to make a brief case for the proposed Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) proposal. This proposal enables Canton and Potsdam to join with other municipalities to bargain for lower electricity rates and greater use of renewable energy.

But before stating my case, I want to urge all residents of Canton and Potsdam to become fully informed, in order to reach a reasoned conclusion based on their own needs and values.

Four public informational sessions are scheduled for the next two weeks: details at joulecommunitypower.com/events.

As far as I can judge, the odds are good that those of us who participate in this CCA will save money over time--which is, obviously, not a trivial concern. But neither is it, in my view, the strongest argument in favor of the program. The really important benefits will accrue to the environment, both locally and further afield. To quote the old “Green” mantra, it affords a way to “Think Globally; Act Locally.”

Today less than half of New York’s electricity comes from renewable sources: we simply lack the capacity to go completely “Green.” Supply, however, is ultimately conditioned by Demand. The increased demand generated by Community Choice Aggregation can be expected to elicit an increased supply of genuinely renewable energy, guaranteed by officially validated “RECs” (Renewable Energy Certificates).

Signing on with a CCA represents a continuing investment in the environmental future of the entire North Country- the future of our children’s future and of generations to come. Specifically, it will bring Canton closer to certification as a “Climate Smart Community”, which will strengthen future grant applications.

Above all, it will enhance our reputation as an environmentally responsible community, which will be a source of pride to its residents, and an attraction to potential newcomers-- people who will love the North Country for the same reasons we do. Hopefully, it will even encourage our “transient” residents (our children and students) to continue to feel part of our community: to come back “home” to us from time to time, and to keep in touch while roaming the globe.

William Hunt, PhD
Canton