Waterville Valley Community Electric Power Committee

The Town worked with the consulting team, Standard Power Good Energy, to develop and now implement the Community Electric Power Plan. This team has worked with Keene, Swanzey, and Marlborough in New Hampshire, as well as 50 other municipalities in New England, on their Community Power Plans and ongoing programs. In 2025, the Town signed a new consulting contract with ECM Power for Community Electric Power. 

March 2025 WigWag Article

Community Power Update

Kimberly Rawson, Community Power Committee

In the not-too-distant past, we can recall that NH ratepayers faced high electricity bill charges. It was common for ratepayers to pay anywhere from 15 to 20 cents per kWh. New Hampshire’s community power law, signed in 2019, gave rise to community power opportunities like ours across the state. For the first time, utility companies faced competition. Like an awoken giant, utility companies dropped their rates to all-time lows, responding to the competition of community power programs.

What does that mean for Waterville Valley Ratepayers? We remain committed to launching when we can save our ratepayers money. Community electric power will allow us to save money on electric rates and exercise the choice of electricity purchased with up to 100% renewable energy. Community power also allows for long-term energy planning by investing in the Town of Waterville Valley’s energy
projects. On average, the Town of Waterville Valley spends $240,000 annually on electricity! Our goal is to bring these costs down with small-scale local energy projects. We are already exploring projects that could include rooftop solar on town buildings and other alternative energy solutions. In the future, producing a portion of our electricity will provide further long-term stability to rates, energy costs, and choice. Eventually, the utility giants will raise their rates again. We will be ready with our Community Electric Power Plan and a third-party energy broker to negotiate the best rates possible.

This year, we are asking voters to start a reserve account so that we can financially plan for our future energy costs. By state law, we need to establish a reserve account that will be managed and overseen by the Selectboard. Initially, we are asking for $2,000 for communication expenses in the event of a launch of our Community Power Program. Once established, our reserve account would allow us, with Selectboard approval, to raise additional funds. Such funds won’t be raised until we lock into an energy contract, which could be funded by a small charge levied per kilowatt-hour. No money will be spent from the account without approval by the Selectboard.