Town Meeting empowers Crabtree to join other communities in looking for cheap electricity to buy

Town Meeting members voted this week to authorize Town Manager Scott C. Crabtree to work with other communities in the purchase of electricity.

Article 5, as passed by Town Meeting, would allow the town manager authority to research, develop, participate in a contract or contracts, to aggregate the electricity load of the residents and businesses in the town and for other related services, independently, or in joint action with other municipalities, retaining the right of individual residents and businesses to opt out of the aggregation.

“It allows the town manager to negotiate an agreement,” Crabtree told Town Meeting members.

“The advantage they’ve explained to me is the ability to purchase electricity at different times of the year when it’s cheaper,” Crabtree said.

“The town is just putting this together. Businesses and residences can opt out,” he said.

“There are different companies you can sign up with to get lower rates,” according to Crabtree.

Crabtree said the article does not enable the town to have its own light company.