LACONIA — The city is taking steps to explore joining the Community Power Coalition of New Hampshire, a nonprofit public agency with a mission of providing a moderately lower rate for the residents of its member communities.
The City Council first heard about the proposal at its Sept. 11 meeting, when a representative of the coalition invited Laconia to join. At its meeting on Nov. 27, council voted to take the first steps toward accepting that invitation by forming a committee to evaluate the city’s electricity needs. The city will also need to appoint representatives to serve on the Community Power Coalition’s board of directors.
The Community Power Coalition of New Hampshire is able to provide electricity to consumers at a more affordable rate, compared to major utility companies, by regularly shopping for electricity rates. In practice — the coalition was formed in 2021 — their rates have been around 10% to 12% lower than utilities, and in some rare cases up to 40% less. Consumers who live in member communities can also select how much of their electricity they’d like to come from renewable sources, up to 100%.
There appears to be no risk to explore membership. Communities may leave the coalition at any time, and individual residents within those communities may choose to take the coalition’s rate, keep the utility rate, or purchase electricity through a different means. The local utility company would continue to maintain the electrical infrastructure.
Once the local power committee is formed, it will then begin the task of studying the city’s electricity needs as well as the coalition’s contracts. Later — if the proposal still seems favorable — public hearings will be held, then the council will hold a vote on whether or not to adopt a plan to join the coalition.
“We’re moving down the line, the council is very open to seeing if this is going to work for us,” said City Manager Kirk Beattie. “We’ve heard nothing but positive from the community.”
These articles are being shared by partners in The Granite State News Collaborative. For more information visit collaborativenh.org.