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Nelson board hears Clean Energy NH pitch for municipal battery grant to support emergency shelters
Summary
A Clean Energy New Hampshire representative told the Nelson Select Board the Eversource NH Clean Energy Fund Battery Program could fund roughly half of a municipal battery project, with an additional potential 30% rebate via the IRS Elective Pay Program, and CENH offered to assist with the lengthy application process.
Frank Richter of Clean Energy New Hampshire presented the Eversource NH Clean Energy Fund Battery Program to the Nelson Select Board on Oct. 9, describing a grant opportunity to support municipal battery energy storage for emergency shelters and resiliency centers.
Richter said the program could provide about 50% of project costs. He added that the town might secure an additional 30% rebate through the IRS Elective Pay Program, producing up to roughly 80% combined coverage for a potential project, though detailed application work would be required. Clean Energy New Hampshire (CENH) offered to help Nelson with the application process and supplied initial forms to begin planning.
The board noted that technical information about the town’s new solar array will be needed for the application and said it will contact South Pack Solar (Greg Blake) to gather those details. The Select Board did not take a vote on the proposal during the meeting; Richter’s presentation was an informational step to determine whether Nelson should pursue an application.
The potential project would pair batteries with the municipal solar installation to provide back-up power for emergency shelters and resiliency centers during outages. No cost estimate for a Nelson-specific system was provided at the meeting; Richter framed the figures as program-level financial incentives and described the application as “lengthy and detailed.”
Next steps the board discussed included collecting technical data from the town’s solar vendor and working with CENH on the application. The board did not set a timeline or authorize funding at this meeting.
