Bedford Energy Commission hears CPCNH briefing on community-power contracts, rates and March-2026 launch timeline

At the Aug. 28, 2025 meeting of the Town of Bedford Energy Commission, Andrew Hatch of the Community Power Coalition of New Hampshire (CPCNH) briefed commissioners on the contracts and policies the coalition asks member towns to accept so they can be "on deck" to join a community-power launch.

Hatch said the packet before the commission outlines four underpinning policies the coalition asks members to acknowledge: Energy Portfolio Risk Management, Retail Rates, Financial Reserves and Data Security and Privacy. "This is not a step that is committing the town of Bedford to move forward in any way at all," Hatch told commissioners, adding that signing the agreements prepares a town to participate if conditions later make a launch appropriate.

Why it matters: signing CPCNH greements allows Bedford to receive the customer data and planning support CPCNH needs to decide whether to press the procurement "go" button. If Bedford moves forward it could change where many local ratepayers get their default electric supply and could affect local rates and reserve accruals.

Hatch described how the coalition manages procurement and risk: CPCNH contracts with Ascend Analytics for market advice and Calpine Services as its load-serving and operational provider. He reviewed a winter in which a planned woody-biomass offtake agreement collapsed after the seller was acquired, leaving the coalition exposed to volatile markets and forcing a drawdown of reserves. "We were left exposed," Hatch said, describing that episode as a key learning that informs tightened risk controls.

On rates, Hatch said CPCNH typically sets its default product on a schedule that maps to utility rate-setting twice a year, with rates finalized by a December board meeting and posted by statute ahead of a February 1 effective date. He said CPCNH policy also allows different approaches, including multi-year supplier contracts that some communities use. "The launch will only take place if the rates are preferential, if they will beat the default utility rates of that local member," Hatch said, noting that Bedford—ustomers would see a public information session and mailed notice before any enrollment.

Reserves and local options: Hatch said the coalition—oard considered three reserve-recoupment scenarios after the winter drawdown and selected a three-year path to restore a baseline target of 60 days of operating cash on hand (the policy baseline). He also explained that the coalition uses a 120-day cash-on-hand target as a trigger consideration for becoming a load-serving entity. Towns may elect a discretionary local reserve adder (an example Hatch gave: a 0.1¢ per-kWh adder) that accrues to the town for local priorities such as energy audits or efficiency subsidies.

Contracts, data and financial exposure: Hatch emphasized CPCNH greements are uniform across members and not subject to redlining; he urged legal review. He repeated that statute prohibits use of town taxpayer funds to prepare, launch or administer community power and that costs must be recovered through rates. He described the "complete service bundle" (cost-sharing agreement plus member services contract) that towns must sign to be on deck; signing, he said, authorizes CPCNH to procure granular customer data for planning but does not obligate the town until CPCNH and the town authorize procurement.

Timing and next steps: Hatch said, if Bedford chooses to be on deck, CPCNH would seek a formal notice to the New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission and would request detailed customer data in November to be ready for a potential March 1, 2026 launch. He said the final operational decision is made by an authorized officer the town designates (often the town manager) at the procurement go/no-go meeting. "All of this just sets that facility up," he said, "but that act is really when it becomes you move forward."

Commission response: Commissioners asked for a clear stage-gate timeline and indicated they expect to review and possibly recommend the contracts to the Town Council in October so the council can decide whether to sign an authorized-officer form and be eligible for the March launch group. Several members pressed on how recent PUC docket activity and utility under-collection issues could shift rate comparisons; Hatch said those regulatory proceedings are part of the changing background but reiterated the coalition oes not use town funds and aims for transparency in cost allocation.

Next procedural step: the Energy Commission agreed to review CPCNH greements at its next meeting and, if comfortable, forward a recommendation to the Town Council for its October agenda. The commission did not take a binding vote to join CPCNH or to launch at this meeting.