Monadnock Ledger-Transcript – Community Power Coalition of New Hampshire Announces New Energy Rates

The New Hampshire Renewable Energy Coalition (CPCNH) has announced new electricity rates that will go into effect August 1.

Community power allows municipalities to buy electricity wholesale for residents, with the intention of negotiating lower rates and the ability to obtain more energy from renewable sources. CPCNH is a nonprofit energy agency established by New Hampshire cities and towns to manage the administration and procurement of 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 cleaner 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 percent over Liberty rates and 18 percent over Eversource and Unitil rates. CPCNH estimates the new rates will result in another $11 million in savings on top of the $14 million it says it has already saved.

“CPCNH empowers communities to better control their energy future through improved 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 customers seeking more renewable energy.”

Temple is the latest city in the Monadnock region to begin offering CPCNH rates to residents. On June 25, the Temple Select Board officially approved joining the coalition.

“I think this is a very exciting time for Temple,” said Robert Wills, chairman of the Renewable Energy Group.

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

New local rates provide funding for energy projects

Peterborough residents who currently receive electricity through CPCNH’s Granite Basic rate will soon be transitioned to the new “Peterborough Local” rate. The new rate has been set at 9.3 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh), which is 0.7 cents more than the new Granite Basic rate.

An additional 0.7 cents will be transferred to a discretionary reserve fund, exclusive to Peterborough, to fund local renewable energy initiatives. CPCNH customers currently on Granite Basic will be automatically enrolled in the new tier unless they opt out.

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

Cassady noted that the committee’s goal is to save our residents money on their electric bills while providing additional renewable energy options. “Peterborough Community Energy is on track.”

Dublin, as part of Cheshire Community Power, has also opted in to the 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.

“That would still be less than Eversource’s default rate,” Peters said, adding that CPCNH said, “given Dublin’s population, a 0.3-cent increase in that local community could put Dublin in a $15,000 reserve account.”

During a June 17 Dublin Select Board discussion, board members were open to the idea of ​​creating a reserve account to fund energy projects, but felt adding a new tier could confuse customers and place the burden of opting out on them.

“It’s a hidden cost, a hidden burden for every resident or utility payer in this city who has to build in provisions for the unknown,” said Chris Raymond, leader of Dublin City Council.

Ultimately, the Dublin Select Board decided to trial the system for six months from August 1, but would withdraw the new tier if it proved ineffective.