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Commission reviews community power readiness and Commercial PACE briefing; no action taken
Summary
The Energy Commission reviewed community power documents approved by the town council and heard an informational briefing on Commercial PACE financing; commissioners asked for more research on staff workload and prospective benefits and will revisit the issue later.
At its Oct. 23 meeting the Bedford Energy Commission discussed two policy items: readiness to enroll in a community power program if competitive rates are offered, and an informational briefing on a Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (CPACER) lending option presented recently to the town council.
Commissioners noted the town council has approved the community power documents and that the town would be ready to proceed if rates meet the voters’ expectations. A commissioner clarified that voter approval of the underlying charter measure means council approval is not required; commissioners discussed whether the town should set a specific discount threshold (for example, 10% below Eversource) but did not reach consensus.
On CPACER, commissioners summarized a presentation by James Key Wallace of the New Hampshire Business Finance Authority. The commission heard that CPACER can lower upfront costs for developers using a special-assessment financing vehicle and can be applied retroactively to eligible improvements made within a 36-month window. Commissioners emphasized the need to examine staff time and administrative burden before adopting any program; they agreed to request more detail from the presenter and to revisit the matter at a future meeting. No commission action or vote occurred on either item.
