The opportunity to join with other towns and cities and purchase cheaper power as a unit will be the topic of conversation Tuesday night in Pembroke.
Since the town’s energy committee was rebooted in the spring of 2021, its primary focus has been the Community Power Plan, along with giving advice to the town on energy-related issues.
Local governments are given the opportunity to purchase energy on behalf of their constituents through Community Power. At a time when utility prices are on the rise, the combined purchasing power of residents and businesses in multiple communities may help secure reasonable utility prices.
Unlike the current system, in which utilities compete with energy suppliers for a specific price, community power offers flexibility in how electricity is purchased, said Matthew Miller, a member of the Pembroke Energy Committee.
“We can study the energy and geopolitical market, and the weather and start buying electricity at any time when we think we see good deals,” said Miller.
The Pembroke Energy Committee will hold a public meeting to discuss their Community Power plan at 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 1 at the Pembroke Academy Auditorium.
Pembroke is among the 20 towns and cities that have joined the Community Power Coalition of New Hampshire, a nonprofit organization that pools the purchasing power of municipalities to manage and run their Community Power programs.
Don Kreis, the state’s consumer advocate, said that as more municipalities join the coalition, they would have more clout and bargaining power when purchasing wholesale electricity.
“I think it has a lot of potential to deliver real benefits for residential customers, in particular, of restructuring,” said Kreis. “If their plans go as far as they’re hoping, they will be the biggest supplier of retail electricity in the state.”
The meeting will include a Q&A session, details on the Community Power Plan and enrollment opportunities.
The committee intends to put the Community Power Plan to the town’s vote in March 2023.
Founding members of the Community Power Coalition include the cities of Lebanon, Nashua and Dover; the towns of Hanover, Harrisville, Exeter, Rye, Warner, Walpole, Plainfield, Newmarket, Enfield and Durham; and Cheshire County.
