Brookhaven looks to end failed energy program

Brookhaven likely will cancel a townwide energy program that was intended to cut residents' natural gas bills, after the program failed to achieve any savings, Supervisor Dan Panico said in an interview with Newsday.

Panico said Tuesday he believes the town board "is going to terminate this initiative in the near future,” two years after starting the program. He was not sure whether the town board would vote to discontinue the program or let it lapse when it expires April 30.

The optional program, known as Community Choice Aggregation, was touted by town officials as a way to cut gas bills by as much as $100 per year. But gas customers in the town program paid more, as National Grid rates were much lower than those offered by Brookhaven, officials said.

Panico and town Councilman Jonathan Kornreich, in separate telephone interviews, said attempts by town officials to educate residents about the program's opt-out feature had failed.

“It’s proving to be a lot of work to have to continually send out mailers," Panico said. “Some people love it, others don’t.”

Brookhaven is the only Long Island municipality offering Community Choice, which had been authorized in 2016 by the State Legislature. Lynbrook Village ended its program in 2022 when it did not produce savings for residents, Newsday has reported.

Statewide, 44 municipalities have Community Choice energy programs — 13 fewer than a year ago, said James Denn, spokesman for the state Department of Public Service.

Brookhaven had hired Manhattan energy company Good Energy to manage the town program, offering natural gas at a fixed monthly rate of 69.5 cents per therm. Town officials said that price would be less than National Grid's rate, which varies month to month.

But over the last two years, National Grid charged far less than the town, records show. Company rates ranged from 32 cents per therm in August to a high of 60.1 cents per therm in January.

A customer who used 200 therms of energy in January paid about $139 under the Brookhaven program, compared with $120.20 for gas from National Grid.

“This has been a bad deal since Day One,” Kornreich said Tuesday. “There has not been one month when it has been cheaper. ... We were sold a bill of goods on this and it’s infuriating.”

Brookhaven Town Attorney Annette Eaderesto said ending the program was a "mutual" decision between the town and Good Energy.

Good Energy did not return messages seeking comment.

All Brookhaven Town residential gas customers were automatically enrolled in the program in 2023. Mailings and the town website informed residents how to opt out when Grid prices were cheaper, or opt in when Grid charged higher prices, town officials said.

But Brookhaven officials and civic leaders said many town residents appeared to be unaware of the program or did not know they could opt out. Critics also said it was unreasonable to expect residents to monitor gas prices every month.

“The operative word was 'choice' and very few people were aware they had that,” Port Jefferson Station civic leader Ira Costell, an early skeptic, said in a phone interview. “On the few occasions I even checked the numbers, it seemed the best option was to opt out and stay that way.”

By Carl MacGowan

carl.macgowan@newsday.comCarlMacGowan

Carl MacGowan is a Long Island native who covers Brookhaven Town after having previously covered Smithtown, Suffolk County courts and numerous spot news and feature stories over his 20-plus year career at Newsday.