Alliance for Competitive Energy Services

 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 Contact:     Mally Becker, Gabel Associates, (732) 296-0770

                  Frank Belluscio, New Jersey School Boards Association, (609) 278-5205

Energy Co-op Achieves $5.9 Million in Savings for N.J. Public Schools

TRENTON, October 3, 2003--More than 400 New Jersey school districts will see the cost of purchasing their electric supply fall by a about six percent beginning in November as a result of a successful search for less-costly electric generation by the Alliance for Competitive Energy Services (ACES), organizers of the energy cooperative announced today.

“The contracts awarded to South Jersey Energy and Amerada Hess represent a win for taxpayers and for our public schools, which will be able to use the $5.9 million in overall energy savings to enhance education and services for all our children,” said Edwina M. Lee, executive director of the New Jersey School Boards Association (NJSBA). 

ACES is an energy-purchasing program formed in 1999 by NJSBA, the New Jersey Association of School Business Officials (NJASBO), and the New Jersey Association of School Administrators (NJASA).  ACES’ primary purpose is to save money for New Jersey’s public schools by lowering the electric generation service portion of their monthly bills. 

The award to provide electric supply to the ACES member school districts will begin in November and run through May 2005.  South Jersey Energy will serve ACES member school districts located in PSE&G’s and JCP&L’s service territories.  Amerada Hess will serve school districts located in Conectiv’s service territory.

“With the award issued this week, ACES becomes the first energy-buying group in New Jersey to identify savings for mid-size and small commercial electric customers, such as public schools.” said Ed Meglis, executive director of NJASBO.  “Through ACES, we will continue to provide significant savings for our schools, as well as electric price stability over the 19-month term of the agreement.”

James Murphy, executive director of NJASA added,  “I am very pleased that energy competition is working for New Jersey’s school children and for taxpayers.” 

ACES utilized an electronic bid process to identify electric savings from energy suppliers. The e-bidding process was administered by Gabel Associates, a Highland Park-based energy-consulting firm, and allowed energy suppliers to submit electronic bids on a daily basis.  

The Request for Bids issued by ACES sought energy supply for schools’ small and medium-sized electric accounts, which are served under utility Fixed Price-Basic Generation Service (FP-BGS) tariffs.  ACES was also successful in July 2003 in obtaining savings for member school districts that have larger hourly-priced electric accounts served under utility Commercial and Industrial Hourly Energy Pricing tariffs.

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