Lebanon-based Community Power Coalition sets rate at 15.8 cents per kilowatt-hour

UPPER VALLEY — Electricity rates have been set for the future customers of the Community Power Coalition of New Hampshire, and as the community power model promised, prices are lower than those of the largest utilities.

Officials announced Monday afternoon that the nonprofit Community Power Coalition of New Hampshire, set to launch in May, will offer a base electric rate of 15.8¢ per kilowatt-hour.

The cost marks a 22% savings compared to Eversource’s energy supply rate, 28% relative to Liberty Utilities, and 39% energy supply savings for Unitil customers, according to a press release from the Lebanon-based Community Power Coalition.

Enfield, Hanover, Lebanon and Plainfield are among 10 municipalities included in the initial wave of ratepayers. Unless they choose to opt out, residents and businesses on a utility default service in those communities will be bumped into the program.

Community power aggregation, which pools the electricity buying power of municipalities, was approved by the New Hampshire Legislature in 2019. It allows cities, towns and counties to provide less expensive and more reliable electricity to their residents and businesses.

Conventional utilities, such as Liberty, which serves Lebanon, will still “deliver” the power on the distribution grid they operate, but the Community Power Coalition is responsible for procuring it.

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