Energy Commission to hold public hearing on draft Electric Aggregation Plan for Dover Community Power program

posted on 11/10/2022

The Energy Commission will hold its first of two public hearings on the draft Electric Aggregation Plan (EAP) at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 16, in the McConnell Center cafeteria, the first step of creating a Dover Community Power program. Following public input, the Energy Commission will schedule a second public hearing.

The EAP would serve as the Dover Community Power program’s operation blueprint. The Energy Commission, which Dover’s City Council designated as the city’s Electric Aggregation Committee (EAC) for the program, will take feedback at the public hearings and finalize its recommendations for the City Council’s consideration. If approved by the Council, implementing the EAP would require further steps, including review by the Public Utilities Commission. The draft EAP is available at www.dover.nh.gov/government/city-operations/planning/resilient-dover/community-power/.

The Community Power program is authorized under state law RSA 53:E. It allows municipalities and counties to aggregate retail electric customers to “access to competitive markets for supplies of electricity and related energy services” on a voluntary basis. The program will only launch if it can initially offer residential default electricity rates lower than those provided by Eversource. The program will be self-funded through revenue generated by participating customers and not use taxpayer funds to cover program expenses.

“Drafting the Electric Aggregation Plan is a crucial step forward in creating a Community Power program for Dover, and it is critical for the public to be involved in the process,” said Resilience Manager Jackson Kaspari, who provides staff support to the EAC. “By joining forces with communities across the state, the program, if authorized, has opportunities to bring new value and expand representation for participating customers.”

Once operational, as envisioned under the current draft plan, residents and businesses on default electricity supply through Eversource would be enrolled in the Dover Community Power program with the ability to opt out of Eversource’s default energy supplier or choose a competitive energy supplier. Customers enrolled with competitive suppliers can opt into the program. All customers will be notified well before the potential launch date, estimated to be around the start of 2024.

The Dover Community Power program is part of the non-profit Community Power Coalition of New Hampshire (CPCNH) initiative, of which the City of Dover is a founding member. CPCNH is overseen by a board of directors appointed from participating communities. The goal is for the participating communities to use their combined purchasing power to create savings and new value for customers.

Dover’s EAC provides the City Council advisory support during the development of the Dover Community Power program. The EAC encompasses all Dover Energy Commission members, who have a variety of energy expertise, with backgrounds including regulatory processes, utility operations, electric vehicles, energy data and offshore wind. The EAC is supported by Kaspari, who has a doctorate in chemistry. The EAC tasked Kaspari, who serves on the CPCNH Risk Management Committee, with drafting the EAP. The EAC’s business is conducted during Energy Commission public meetings and is included in the Energy Commission’s agendas and minutes.

The cafeteria is located on the ground floor of the McConnell Center, 61 Locust St., in Dover, adjacent to the Dover Public Library.