West Stockbridge — Residents will see an increase in their electricity bill this April. During the West Stockbridge Select Board meeting on Wednesday, February 18, Mark Cappadona, West Stockbridge’s municipal aggregation consultant, and Denise Allard from Colonial Power Group joined the meeting to discuss an ISO New England charge that is affecting pricing in the Berkshires.
ISO New England is an independent, nonprofit agency that oversees operation of the power grid and wholesale electricity markets and manages the power planning process in New England. The agency is authorized by the Federal Energy Regulation Commission (FERC). In March of last year, ISO New England created a new ancillary charge as part of their Day-Ahead Ancillary Services Initiative (DASI or DAAS). The initiative is intended to help with the reliability of the grid.
Based on the agency’s Cost Impact Analysis for 2026, “ISO New England went down to the FERC and said this charge is going to be about $100 million to $125 million all across New England,” Cappadona explained. “So when we went out, this was an unhedgeable, brand new charge. The only thing we could do is get suppliers to give us a pass through cost on this.”
On January 26 and 27, the polar vortex and ensuing snowstorm placed significant strain on the energy grid, incurring costs that were not anticipated during ISO New England’s Cost Analysis. As a result, the town’s aggregation costs increased and Colonial Power Group must now change its rates for Berkshire County customers.
“[Colonial Power Group] met with all the managers and all the administrators in the Berkshires about making this change,” said Cappadona. “[The impact to the West Stockbridge customer] is about $7.50 per month, per customer. The current rate in West Stockbridge is 0.13750; that would change your rate to 15 cents even. You’re still below basic service, per National Grid. National Grid is at 15.372 [cents] so you’re still saving $2 per month. We’ll change the rate in March and you’ll see it on your April bill. That’s what we’re proposing. Also, customers use less on the shoulder months as far as electricity goes, so it’ll be less impactful.”
Cappadona admitted that ISO New England had made a mistake in their Cost Analysis. In order to rectify the situation, “[ISO New England is] committed to trying to do something expediently with the FERC … and ask them to drive down some costs…”
The board asked Cappadona what would happen if they did not approve the rate change.
“We would still have to take West Stockbridge’s commensurate share at some point and repay that,” answered Cappadona. “I just think that right now is the time to do it so that if and when—I’m not promising anything—[ISO New England] makes these adjustments, we can bring these rates down sooner than later. That’s the goal.”
The Select Board ultimately approved the amendment to the town’s contract with Colonial Power Group.
Changes to the shared animal control program
Earlier in the evening, Stockbridge Town Administrator Michael Canales spoke to the West Stockbridge Select Board about restructuring the animal control program. Currently, nine communities in Berkshire County share two part-time animal control officers (ACOs). These towns are Otis, Becket, Lee, Lenox, Stockbridge, West Stockbridge, Richmond, Alford, and Tyringham. There are two kennels: one in Lee and one in Becket.
The restructuring comes in light of Ollie’s Law, signed by Gov. Maura Healey in September 2024. The law looks to improve animal welfare through annual kennel inspections and tighter kennel regulations.
“As laws change, requirements change, and with arrests, it’s going to become less and less likely that we’re going to be able to fill this with part-time people,” Canales stated. “So the idea is that we have the full-time ACO and the part-time kennel manager/ACO back up, and this would all be coordinated through Tri-Town Health—so they would fall under the Tri-Town Health Department. And it’s just getting into compliance with Ollie’s Law.”
The resulting cost to West Stockbridge would be $15,357.30 for fiscal year 2027. This cost covers a portion of operating accounts, which includes kennel operations, animal control officers, and supplies.
