NASHUA, N.H. – Supporters of the The Community Power Coalition of New Hampshire (CPCNH), also known as Community Power, on Monday announced that this May, ratepayers in 10 communities will begin to see significant savings on energy costs, with just over two dozen following in the near future.
In a press conference at Nashua City Hall, the organization announced its base electric rate of 15.8 cents per kilowatt-hour, representing $5.8 million in savings for the communities of Enfield, Exeter, Hanover, Harrisville, Lebanon, Nashua, Peterborough, Plainfield, Rye, and Walpole.
Nashua Mayor Jim Donchess says that Nashua residents alone will be expected to save a total of $ 2.6 million.
“This is a transformative model, not just for us, but for our fellow New Hampshire cities and towns across the state,” said Donchess. “We look forward to working with all of you in the coming months and years and decades to build a better New Hampshire economy for all of us.”
“Community Power is about more than short-term rate savings,” said Lisa Sweet, the Town of Rye’s representative on the CPCNH governance board. “Community Power allows us to build reserve funds controlled by our local communities — not out of state, for-profit corporations — and decide how those funds are spent and to counter future market volatility and invest back into our local communities. Our ten communities are generating $8.1 million in reserves in the first three months of operation — that’s local wealth to benefit customers for the long term.”
CPCNH was created in 2019 through a state law allowing community energy aggregation and will be run through a Board of Directors appointed by member communities. It is tasked with lowering electricity rates for customers in its communities, offering cleaner energy choices, and giving decision-making back to New Hampshire residents.
Residents in these first 10 communities will automatically be enrolled into the program, and can choose to opt out of the program or customize their experience within the program through information expected to be provided at municipal websites.
Other communities may also ask their local governing boards to join Community Power. New Hampshire communities currently served by Unitil and Liberty among some other utilities will not be eligible to join in the near future given current limitations with data collection processes.
