The Community Power Coalition of New Hampshire (CPCNH) has announced new electricity rates to go into effect on Aug. 1.

Community power allows municipalities to purchase power in bulk for residents, with the intent of negotiating lower rates and the potential for more energy from renewable sources. CPCNH is a nonprofit power agency established by New Hampshire cities and towns to manage administration and procure electricity, and locally, Peterborough and Temple are members. Dublin is a member of Cheshire Community Power, which is part of CPCNH.

Granite Basic, the default energy rate tier, has been set at 8.6 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh). Customers looking for more clean energy can choose from Granite Plus, Clean 50 and Clean 100, which provide 33%, 50% and 100% renewable energy, respectively. Granite Plus has been set at 9.3 cents per kWh, Clean 50 at 10 cents, and Clean 100 at 12 cents. 

According to CPCNH, Granite Basic represents a savings of 22% off Liberty’s rates and 18% off Eversource’s and Unitil’s. CPCNH estimates that these new rates will generate another $11 million in savings on top of the $14 million they claim they have already saved.

“CPCNH empowers communities to better control their energy future with enhanced local control, greater customer choice, and low competitive rates,” said Brian Callnan, CEO of  CPCNH. “We are excited to continue to  deliver on these goals and create significant cost savings for our communities, including for those customers looking for more renewable energy.”

Temple is the most-recent Monadnock region town to begin offering CPCNH rates to residents. On June 25, the Temple Select Board gave official approval for joining the coalition.

“I think we’re in a very exciting time for Temple,” Renewable Energy Task Force Chairman Robert Wills said.

For information, call 866-603-POWR (866-603-7697) or visit communitypowernh.gov.

New local rates provide energy project funding

Residents of Peterborough who currently receive their electricity through CPCNH’s Granite Basic rate will soon be rolled into a new “Peterborough Local” rate.  The new rate is set at 9.3 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh), or 0.7 cents higher than the new Granite Basic rate.

The additional 0.7 cents will be directed into discretionary reserve fund, exclusive to Peterborough, dedicated to financing local renewable energy initiatives. CPCNH customers currently on Granite Basic will be automatically enrolled into the new tier, unless they opt out.

“The rates align with our expectations for price and renewable content,” said Tony Cassady, co-chair of the Peterborough Community Power Committee. “We’re pleased with them and the fact that we can beat the proposed Eversource rate while providing renewable energy options above their default.”

Noting that the committee’s goal is to save our residents money on their electric bills while providing additional renewable energy options, Cassady said, “Community power is working as planned for Peterborough.”

Dublin, under Cheshire Community Power, has also decided to participate in a new “local” tier. According to Select Board member Susan Peters, Dublin’s local tier is 0.3 cents higher than the default rate. That extra 0.3 cents will go into a discretionary fund for potential future energy projects.

“This would still be lower than the Eversource default rate,” Peters said, adding that, according to CPCNH, “Based on Dublin’s population, a 0.3 cent increase in this local community could bring Dublin as much as $15,000 in a reserve account.”

During the Dublin Select Board’s June 17 discussion, board members were open to the idea of a reserve account for funding energy projects, but felt that adding a new tier might confuse customers, and place the burden of opting out on them.

“It’s a hidden expense, a hidden burden to any resident or utility-payer in this town to build a reserve for the unknown,” Dublin Select Board Chair Chris Raymond said.

Ultimately, the Dublin Select Board decided to try the system for a six-month period starting Aug. 1, but will withdraw from the new tier if it is not effective.