Want cheaper electricity? Let’s get Manchester onto community power

Sign Up For Our FREE Daily eNews!

O P I N I O N

THE SOAPBOX

Screen Shot 2017 03 06 at 6.58.40 PM

Stand up. Speak up. It’s your turn.


Electricity costs way too much right now. Talk to anybody and you’ll find common ground in that. So what can we do about it?

One possible solution is community power.

Thanks to a state law passed in 2019, municipalities like Manchester are allowed to purchase energy directly from wholesale electricity suppliers in search of the lowest price possible for their residents. We already have two great local examples to follow:  the Community Power Coalition of New Hampshire (CPCNH) and Keene Community Power (KCP).

This year CPCNH successfully acquired energy for their communities at a rate that was 20 to 40% lower than what one would pay for default service with a traditional utility company like Eversource, Liberty, or Unitil. A similar story unfolded in Keene, where right now you can participate in their Keene Basic community power plan and pay only 11.1 cents per kWh. Compare that to their Eversource Basic Service rate of 20.221 cents per kWh – that’s almost twice as expensive!

Another important aspect of community power in New Hampshire is that you are allowed to opt out. So if you’d prefer to keep paying a higher rate to your current energy supplier, you certainly can.

As for me, I believe the people of Manchester deserve to at least have that choice in the first place. Let’s join our neighbors and get Manchester onto community power.


Beg to differ? Agree to disagree? Thoughtful prose on topics of general interest are welcome. Send submissions for consideration to publisher@manchesterinklink.com, subject line: The Soapbox.


 

About this Author

Bryce Kaw-uh

Bryce Kaw-uh (pronounced cow-woo) is a former Air Force brat with a passion for urban planning and community development. He currently works as a software engineer for his day job while serving as Chair of the Manchester Planning Board in his spare time. Bryce lives in Ward 1 alongside his Manchester-born-and-raised partner of nine years and their enthusiastic golden retriever.