Dive Summary:

• Lowell, Mass., has moved to allow bulk power purchases for city consumers and look for rates to compete with National Grid, the city's traditional provider.
• Lowell's City Council approved the municipal aggregation plan, and the Massachusetts' Department of Public Utilities will now review the decision, potentially making Lowell (with 30,000 households and businesses) the largest community in the state to take advantage of deregulation-related options.
• Municipal aggregation programs are becoming more common in the U.S., notably gaining attention in Chicago this year.

From the article:

"... The regular utility still delivers the electricity, but the selected company supplies the power, according to Brian E. Murphy, president of Colonial Power Group, the Marlborough firm chosen by Lowell to be its consultant and energy broker.

'The utility continues to maintain the power lines, read the meters, and send the bills,' Murphy said. 'The only thing that changes is a line item on the bill in which the alternative rate is substituted.' ..."