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Weare committee updates: safety‑complex solar, site visits and Kearsarge net‑metering follow‑up
Summary
Committee discussed a pending safety‑complex solar contract awaiting executive council approval, planned site visits for energy‑improvement estimates (partly funded by New Hampshire Saves), and resurrected a prior recommendation on Kearsarge Energy net‑metering; members also raised recycling revenue ideas for the transfer station.
The Weare Energy Committee reviewed several municipal energy items, including a safety‑complex solar contract pending executive council approval, planned site visits for building energy‑improvement estimates, and a previously recommended Kearsarge Energy net‑metering arrangement.
The chair (speaker 1) said the executive council must approve expenditures over $20,000 and the committee was awaiting that decision before finalizing reimbursements for the safety‑complex solar project. The chair said contractors from Northeast Air Ceiling will inspect the South Fire Station, the safety complex and the current meeting building to estimate energy‑improvement costs, and members noted that portions of these projects could be paid through the New Hampshire Saves program.
Committee members reintroduced an earlier proposal with Kearsarge Energy — a 20‑year net‑metering arrangement that would feed solar output back to the town under a long‑term contract. Members said the topic had been discussed last year and recommended earlier motions to have a committee member (Ben Goodwin) advance the matter to the select board; the committee agreed to revisit the item for the select board’s consideration.
The committee also discussed recycling operations at the transfer station. One member suggested investigating higher‑value plastics streams, noting market shifts since COVID could make expanded recycling a modest revenue source for the town. The chair said town staff (TJ) was already looking into the matter.
Why it matters: municipal decisions on solar contracting, net metering and energy improvements can affect capital spending, operating budgets and the town’s long‑term energy costs. The committee asked staff to continue follow‑up with state approvals, grant channels and the select board.
Next steps: staff will monitor the executive council decision on the safety‑complex contract, schedule site visits and bring Kearsarge Energy materials back to the select board or a future committee meeting.
