COMMUNITY POWER
TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR ENERGY
On This Page:
Overview
Get community power for your town
Community Power (HB 315) was signed into law by lawmakers and the governor in 2019.
Community Power empowers towns, cities and counties to choose where their electricity comes from and how it is generated on behalf of their residents and businesses. In many states across the country, municipalities and counties have launched regional Community Power programs as a means to reduce the cost to consumers and to push for production of more renewable energy.
Overview
Policy change for 100% renewable energy
NH Renews is a new and growing campaign to address our region’s overlapping crises: mass unemployment, racial injustice, the coronavirus pandemic, and climate change. We’re developing policies and programs, conducting public education and building grassroots power to achieve a region-wide jobs guarantee, universal healthcare, affordable housing, racial justice, and climate action through state policy change inspired by the Green New Deal. We are working on the NH Renews campaign with a powerful coalition of grassroots organizations, labor unions, racial justice groups, frontline communities, and environmental advocates.
Our Campaign
350NH and our partners across the state are working to support community power initiatives in our towns and cities to combat rising prices and dirty, fossil fuels. Community Power allows towns and businesses to negotiate the bulk purchase of electricity to secure the best rates and energy sources.
Our Campaign
350NH and our partners in the NH Renews Coalition are building public support for the Renew policy platform and holding our elected officials accountable to turn it into law. Our sister organization, 350NH Action, will be working to elect candidates who support this ambitious vision.
In order to win the NH Renews policy platform in our state, we need mass mobilization, community education, and political will to get it done. Our job is to build grassroots support for these policies and to put pressure on our elected officials to adopt them.
Click here to read the regional policy framework from Renew New England
How Do We Launch a Community Power Program?
There are three basic steps in the process for a city or town to launch a Community Power program.
Step 1: Join the Coalition.
The first step is for the Governing Body (Select Board, City/Town Council) to adopt the CPCNH’s Joint Powers Agreement to join the Coalition. There is no cost to joining the Coalition. By joining the Coalition, communities join a statewide network of peers and experts, and gain support towards developing Energy Aggregation Plans and launching programs.
Step 2: Form a Committee and Develop your Energy Aggregation Plan.
The second step is the Governing Body establishes a Community Power Committee to create an Electric Aggregation Plan detailing the structure and goals of the program. The Community Power Committee may be a sub committee of an existing committee.
Step 3: Local Legislative Approval of Community Power Plan.
The final step is to get local legislative authorization through Town Meeting or City/Town Council approval and adoption of the Community Power Plan. CPCNH works with member cities and towns to customize its template Community Power Plan to their community’s specific local policy goals and objectives.
FAQ
Community Power is the bulk purchase of electricity saving ratepayers money.
Community Power is not a new concept and has been widely known in Massachusetts as Municipal Aggregation.
Community Power is a completely optional program and ratepayers can opt out at any time.
Ratepayers will see negotiated rate costs before they decide if they want to participate.
Electric bills will continue to arrive from Eversource, Liberty Utilities, or NH Electric Co-op. Community Power would not change your town's relationship with Eversource or other utilities. In a Community Power scenario, Eversource (or your other utility company) would continue to maintain the poles and wires that bring our community electricity.
