Community Power Listening Session
Tuesday, April 7, 7PM, Town Hall
BYOB – BRING YOUR OWN BILL to the Canterbury Community Power Committee’s listening session. We’ll provide some background on Community Power and how it works, address the current higher rates, how you can opt-out of the program to save money and recent progress for the Net Metering Customers. Mostly, though, we want to hear from you about how you’d like us to set rates, your thoughts about higher rates and Community Power in the future. We’d be happy to look at the bill(s) you bring after the program.
A representative from the Community Power Coalition will join us.
Refreshments will be served.
Questions? Contact your Community Power Representatives – Beth McGuinn, bethm.canterburynh@gmail.com or Edger Rivera, erivera.canterburynh@gmail.com
Whether or not you are able to make it to the event, take a look at these frequently asked questions and answers that the CCPC has put together.
What is Community Power?
Community Power is an alternative to utility power that allows a town and its residents to take charge of their electricity supply, save money, and invest in a clean energy future. It replaces the power supply portion of customer electricity bills with power purchased through the Community Power Coalition or a power broker. Customers still pay their utility for transmission/delivery and other fees. Bills still come under the utility company logo.
How did Community Power come to be in Canterbury?
In 2019, changes to the Community Power law (RSA 53-E, as amended by SB 286) went into effect. This law allows towns to adopt a community power system outside of the utility. It requires towns interested in adopting community power to create an Electric Aggregation Plan (EAP) describing how it would supply electrical power to electrical customers in town. This law also allowed that EAPs approved by the Public Utility Commission (PUC) would allow most electrical users in the town to be pro-actively switched over to the alternative “Community” power system as long as those users could switch back if they wished to do so.
In 2022 the Canterbury Community Power Committee was formed to consider whether community power might benefit electric users in our town. The committee recommended that the Selectboard join the Community Power Coalition of NH and later recommended approval of the committee’s EAP. The Selectboard approved both measures and submitted the EAP to the PUC. At town meeting in 2023 voters approved the switch to Community Power. The PUC also approved the EAP, and most Canterbury electric users were switched to community power that spring.
So Canterbury sources electricity for residents on Community Power through the Community Power Coalition of NH?
Those who were not moved to Community Power include NH Electric Coop Members, net metered customers (solar, wind and hydro) and those who had already selected a third party electric supplier.
All electric customers can switch back to utility power or switch into community power – see below for how.
What about Community Power Rates?
Those who were not moved to Community Power include NH Electric Coop Members, net metered customers (solar, wind and hydro) and those who had already selected a third party electric supplier.
When Community Power was implemented in Canterbury, Unitil and Eversource customers saved on their electric supply rates (distribution rates are still supplied by the utilities). At the time, supply rates were over $0.20/kwh, and community power saved customers money monthly. In part because of the competition from Community Power, the utilities have reduced their supply rates significantly. Lower utility rates have forced Community Power rates to be higher than utility rates while the Coalition accumulates a reserve fund sufficient to cover cash flow obligations from the reserve and avoid future financing obligations. The Coalition believes its rates will be lower than utility rates in the future, but the volatile nature of the electrical supply system makes rates difficult to predict.
What are the other benefits of Community Power?
Community Power provides more than the electricity rates – it provides local control, customer choice, market innovation, project development, and public advocacy. Here are a few examples of projects that demonstrate these benefits:
- The Community Power Coalition (CPCNH) was successful in a lawsuit that keeps the utilities from undercharging for electric supply rates and recouping those undercharges by increasing their transmission/delivery charges, which increased charges for Community Power customers.
- The Coalition is building a 5 MW solar array in Warner to increase the amount of locally produced renewable energy available through its electricity offerings.
- The Coalition is a new voice at the Public Utilities Commission (PUC), which regulates electric utilities in NH– with a customer-centric message rather than the shareholder centric message Unitil and Eversource bring to the table.
- The Coalition is working with researchers and customers to learn more about time of electricity use with the goal of identifying opportunities to reduce electrical use during peak hours by offering customers incentives.
- The Coalition offers the opportunity for customers to opt up to electric energy supply with more renewable power or to opt up to a rate that provides an opportunity to build a Canterbury reserve fund that can be used in town for energy efficiency projects.
How do I get out of (or into) Community Power, get more renewable energy or contribute to Canterbury’s Renewable Energy Capital Reserve Fund?
You can choose between Community Power, third-party options, and your utility. To opt out of, or into Community Power, select cleaner power or a rate that builds Canterbury’s Renewable Energy Capital Reserve Fund customers can:
Have an electric bill handy and
Use the online portal at https://www.communitypowernh.gov/customers/residential-rates#portal
OR
Call 1-866-603-7697 (POWR) or email Info@CommunityPowerNH.gov
What if I produce solar energy at my home?
The Coalition continues to advocate for changes that will allow net metering solar customers to join Community Power. If your solar system was installed before 2018, consider calling the number above to see if it makes sense for you to join Community Power.