History of Community Power in Nelson
History
In October of 2021, The Town of Nelson's Select Board approved the formation of the Nelson Community Power Committee.
The Committee met on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of the month during 2022. These meetings included interviewing representatives of other towns' community power aggregation committees as well as potential consultants.
We spent the summer writing the Nelson Electric Aggregation Plan. Following the approval of Cheshire County Community Power by the NH Public Utilities Commission (PUC), the Nelson Community Power Committee recommended that the Nelson Selectboard vote to join Cheshire Community Power.
On May 31, 2023, the Nelson Board of Selectmen voted unanimously to join Cheshire Community Power, the first town in the County!
Story in Nelson in Common, June 2023 - Nelson Is the First Town in Cheshire County to Join Cheshire Community Power!
First Energy Rates and Plans announced in mid-October 2023 for a November/December launch.
Piece in Nelson in Common, October 2023 - Community Power Comes to Nelson
What Did the Committee Do?
The mission of the Nelson Community Power Committee was to develop a Community Power Plan.
The ultimate goal was to form Nelson Community Power, a town-operated group purchasing program. By pooling the electricity use of residents, property owners, businesses, and non-profits. However, the Nelson Community Power Committee recommended, and the Selectboard concurred, that the town join Cheshire Community Power, which can provide competitively priced electricity in Nelson. There may also be options to purchase electricity from renewable sources.
Eversource will continue to deliver electricity and manage all billing. The only change will be the source and cost of electricity, chosen by the Town of Nelson through a competitive bidding process.
Community Power is a new program in New Hampshire that allows local governments to buy electricity for all residents and small businesses at wholesale prices.
Nelson will collaborate with experienced service providers who know the electricity market. Thus, our town's staff will not need expertise in the energy sector.
Nelson will join with Cheshire County which will purchase electricity on the wholesale market but will not own or maintain the poles and wires. Repairs, power outages, and routine upgrades will be taken care of by Eversource.