Manchester aldermen hear briefing on ‘community power’ municipal aggregation

Representatives of Community Power Coalition New Hampshire (CPCNH) presented to the Manchester Board of Mayor & Aldermen’s Committee on Special Energy on June 2, outlining how a municipal “community power” program would work under state law and what steps Manchester would take if it chooses to explore joining.

The presentation explained that RSA 53‑E authorizes New Hampshire cities, towns and counties to become default electricity suppliers for local customers, typically through an opt‑out enrollment. CPCNH said its municipal programs have averaged roughly 70% participation in communities that have launched and that the organization serves about 190,000–195,000 customer accounts statewide. Henry Herndon, CPCNH acting general manager, told the committee that the agency’s current residential offering was 9.7¢ per kilowatt‑hour and that customers may opt up to higher‑renewable products if they wish.

The briefing mattered to Manchester because the city would decide whether to proceed through a staged process: adopt a joint powers agreement (JPA) to join CPCNH as a member (no financial commitment), establish an electric aggregation committee and prepare an electric aggregation plan (EAP) for Public Utility Commission review, then sign a cost‑sharing agreement (CSA) if the city elects to launch and take service. Andrew Hatch, CPCNH engagement manager, said the program is self‑funded from the supply portion of customer bills and that…