Community Power Committee


Contact:
Address:5 East Main Street
PO Box 265
Warner NH 03278
Phone:603-456-2298 x1
Email:power@WarnerNH.gov
Hours:By Appointment

The Community Power Committee was formed in 2021 as a means to bring lower cost electricity to the residents of Warner.

Documents:

Warner Electricity Ratepayers Survey

The committee is creating a proposal for 2023 to pool rate-payer accounts into a large group to buy electricity at lower rates. The plan would offer several mixes of renewable vs. fossil fuel energy. The lowest rate would be lower than or equal to the Eversource default rate. If the plan is approved at Town Meeting 2023, Warner Community Power would become the default electricity supplier shown on your Eversource bill. (You could Opt-Out at any time, no penalty.).

Warner Community Power would appreciate it if you'd complete a survery. You can drop it off in the Town Hall lobby or mail the survey to: Select Board, Warner Town Hall, P.O. Box 265, Warner NH 03278. The web survey can be found here and the hardcopy survey can be downloaded here.

What is Community Power?

New Hampshire cities, towns, and counties procure electric power supply on behalf of their residents and businesses and provide related services.

wind turbine
Pooled Purchasing Power for Energy Supply
Access to competitive markets
Joint risk management = lower costs & price stability
Option to source power locally & build new renewables
power cord
Utility Company Delivers Power
Utilities own & maintain power grid
Connecting generation to load
Ensuring reliable electric service
battery
Communities Benefit from Value Added Services
Affordable rates
Access to green power options
Time-of-Use rate options
Solar, storage, electric vehicle support

WARNER: We can buy electricity as a community-wide group!

Get Control over Rates and Sources of Power

A recent change in NH law lets towns like Warner pool residential and small business electric users into a single group-buy account to bargain for the best possible electricity rates. That means we would have the group-buying power of hundreds of individual accounts to get the best prices from independent electricity producers throughout New England. And as individuals in the group we could choose one of several options from 100% renewable to mostly fossil fuel sources.

By creating what is, in effect, a town-wide electricity buyers’ club, we can take control of our electricity purchases, getting better rates and more choice about the sources of our power.

As a group, we would buy power from the vendors who give us the best choices and rates, but Eversource would continue to handle the distribution on their poles and wires.

What is Warner Community Power?

The Warner Selectboard has appointed the Warner Community Power committee to put together a plan spelling out how the group-buy would work. With input and ideas from a wide range of people in town, that plan should be ready for a vote at Town Meeting in 2023.

This fall Warner joined a coalition of about a dozen other NH towns and cities which are exploring options and sharing ideas and information about bringing Community Power to their communities. Some towns in the coalition like Harrisville, Hanover and Lebanon have recently adopted their plans. More than a hundred towns and cities across the U.S. are already working with successful Community Power plans.

As a voting member of the Community Power Coalition of NH, Warner would take advantage of the administrative and technical support provided to members. Warner could also choose to get even more control over rates and sources by joining other towns in the Coalition to create a very large group-buy pool. Like large corporations, the more electricity we buy as a group, the lower the rates.

No Cost to the Town & Opt-out Anytime

The Warner Community Power Plan won’t affect the town’s budget or raise taxes. All the costs for administering the Plan would be included in the electricity rates you pay.

If the town votes to accept the plan, all residents and small businesses would be included. But if you want to stay with Eversource or an other source as your supplier, you could simply Opt-Out of the Warner Community Power Plan anytime.

Long-term Goals: More Renewable Energy & Control over Rates

In the coming years we expect more volatility in default electric rates as fossil fuel costs rise and renewable energy (hydro, solar, and wind) become more competitive. More towns and cities across New England will probably be adopting community power plans, encouraging more producers of renewable energy to enter the market. And the leverage of long-term group-buy contracts would ensure Warner residents get low costs and stable rates year after year.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Community Power Coalition Information