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Tabor: Greener, less costly electricity is possible in Portsmouth. Learn about it June 29.

John Tabor
Guest Columnist

Many of us in Portsmouth want to lower our carbon footprint. We insulate our homes, buy energy-saving appliances, drive a hybrid or electric car, maybe even install solar panels.

John Tabor

But most residents — 80% by some estimates — buy electricity from Eversource without exploring greener or cheaper options. Since deregulation in 1998, Eversource has been an electricity delivery company and consumers can choose other electricity suppliers. Most just go with Eversource’s “default option.” It’s confusing and time consuming to research other suppliers, and the options are constantly in flux. Customers feel they are on their own.

But all that is changing! New Hampshire RSA 53-E, signed into law in 2019, allows communities to aggregate or bundle local electric load and buy supply for residents. The statute allows any city or a collaboration of towns and cities to replace the utility company as the “default supplier.” It’s called Community Power, and it will roll out around the state, hopefully next year.

More:Surging electric bills to sting NH customers. Here's how much, why and how to get help.

Communities can create a menu of options. Want an option that has more renewable energy? Portsmouth Community Power could provide it. Want to pay for 100% renewable power? Community Power could provide that option, too. Think what it would be like to run an air conditioner or dryer knowing your electricity usage is reduced or even carbon neutral.

Our city’s Portsmouth Energy Advisory Committee has researched Community Power and is pursuing a Community Power program for Portsmouth. To do so, Portsmouth has joined the Community Power Coalition of New Hampshire (CPCNH) – an innovative new power agency that is governed by member cities and towns and operated as a non profit. CPCNH will administer and sell Community Power around the state as an electricity co-operative to 19 towns and cities (and more as time goes on).

More:Greener, cheaper electricity? Portsmouth is pursuing a community power model

The city’s Energy Advisory Committee and Portsmouth Smart Growth are teaming up for an information night June 29 at 7 p.m. at 3S Artspace. You can learn all about Community Power for Portsmouth and give us feedback on what kind of electricity options you would like.

“You don't need to just passively pay your electric bill once a month. You can ask, ‘Why aren't we getting more renewable power and why isn't it less expensive? And what more can we do to really take control, local control over addressing climate change?’” says Andrea Hodson, select board chair of Harrisville, one of the founding CPCNH communities.

Likewise, states that have implemented community aggregation programs such as Massachusetts, California and Ohio, have seen prices decline.

“This is the most exciting thing to happen to the electricity sector in New Hampshire in decades,” says New Hampshire’s Consumer Advocate Don Kreis. “If you are fortunate enough to live in a Community Power municipality, your municipality is going to be intimately involved in not just using bulk purchasing to get you competitive prices, but also a whole menu possibly of energy initiatives that will deliver concrete benefits to you, that it will make you a more empowered and flexible consumer of the electricity grid and of energy generally.”

At a time electric rates are skyrocketing, Community Power’s proponents also point out its ability to buy energy supply in a portfolio of short and long-term contracts. By contrast, investor-owned utilities must go to market in fixed six-month cycles, and right now that regulated clock lines up with huge price hikes (Liberty Utilities just announced supply increases from 10 to 22 cents and Eversource is following suit.) Community Power could protect consumers from such spikes.

Interested? Learn more at 3S on June 29. The Portsmouth Energy Advisory Committee wants your feedback and guidance as we prepare a Community Power plan for review and decision by the City Council in the fall.

The event is co-hosted by Portsmouth Smart Growth. Sign up and live stream available at portsmouthsmartgrowth.org. The Portsmouth Energy Advisory Committee is a Mayor’s Blue Ribbon Committee consisting of Becca O’Brien, Kevin Charette, Peter Somssich, Ben D’Antonio, Allison Tanner, Tom Rooney, City Councilors John Tabor and Kate Cook, and Peter Rice and Peter Britz.

John Tabor is a Portsmouth city councilor and former president and publisher of Seacoast Media Group.