Keene has joined the towns of Swanzey, Marlborough and Wilton in the first Community Power buying group in New Hampshire.
Learn More: KeeneCommunityPower.com
March 8, 2023 Joint Press Release
Residents and other electric customers in Keene will have the opportunity to save 25% on their electric bills beginning in June.
“We are thrilled to announce that this program will save people money and help our community meet its renewable energy goals” says Elizabeth Dragon, Keene City Manager. “The Keene community has been looking forward to this day for a long time, and, thanks to the hard work of the Energy and Climate Committee, Community Development staff, and the Mayor and City Council, it is now becoming a reality.”
What is Community Power?
Community Power, called “municipal aggregation” in other states, is enabled in New Hampshire by RSA 53-E. It is a city-operated group purchasing program that pools the electric use of residents, businesses, and other electricity customers to provide competitively priced electricity options. The Program offers Keene electricity customers with a city-vetted alternative to Eversource’s default service and other third-party electricity suppliers.
Eversource will continue to deliver your electricity and manage all billing. The only change will be the source and cost of electricity supply, chosen by the City of Keene, using a competitive bidding process. The Program is part of a larger effort to transition to 100% renewable energy by 2050.
Customers currently on Eversource default rate will be eligible for automatic enrollment in the program starting in June. Customers who are currently on competitive supply are not eligible for automatic enrollment but can opt into the program.
How much will electricity cost with this program?
Keene’s Plan includes a standard rate for eligible customers that is about 8 cents cheaper than Eversource’s default rate and contains 10% additional local renewable energy above the state minimum, or 33.4% total renewable energy content. In addition, there are three other electricity options with different balances of renewable energy and cost, including a basic product for customers seeking the best rate and two products with higher levels of renewable energy up to 100%.
Electricity Options