NH and Portsmouth community power groups say electric rates are going down: What to know

PORTSMOUTH — The Community Power Coalition of New Hampshire's Board of Directors has announced an 18% decrease in the Portsmouth Community Power base electric rate starting next month, compared to the rate Eversource has requested from the Public Utilities Commission for the same period.

A base rate of 8.6 cents per kilowatt-hour for residential and small commercial customers goes into effect from Aug. 1, 2024 through Jan. 31, 2025 for Portsmouth and other CPCNH customers. Customers do not need to do anything to receive this new rate but do have the option to buy electricity from more renewable sources.

On the Seacoast, Barrington, Dover, Durham, Epping, Exeter, Hampton Falls, Newmarket, Portsmouth, Rye, Somersworth and Stratham are among the communities that are part of the coalition.

The default 8.6 cents per kilowatt-hour Granite Basic rate from CPCNH is for electricity generated with 24.3% renewable sources. Portsmouth customers also have the choice to “opt-up” to 33% (9.3 cents rate) or 50% renewable (10 cents rate) power sources while still paying less than the Eversource default rate of 10.403 cents. Clean 100 with 100% renewable sources is 12 cents per kilowatt hour.

“Right now, 11,927 local residents and businesses in Portsmouth take advantage of Portsmouth Community Power,” said City Councilor John Tabor, chair of the Portsmouth Energy Advisory Committee that oversees Portsmouth Community Power. “From the launch of Portsmouth Community Power in May 2023 through March 2024, the program delivered $3.1 million in benefits to Portsmouth ratepayers: $1.8 million in rate savings and $1.3 million in reserves that provide rate stability. Portsmouth Community Power is also enabling residents to make real strides in addressing the goals of the city’s Climate Action Plan by opting up to reduce our carbon footprint."

Information on "opting up" to choose options offering more clean energy is available at portsnh.co/commpower.

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“CPCNH empowers communities to better control their energy future with enhanced local control, greater customer choice, and low competitive rates,” said Brian Callnan, CEO of CPCNH. “We are excited to continue to deliver on these goals and create significant cost savings for our communities, including for those customers looking for more renewable energy.”

Since launch, CPCNH stated it has created $14 million in customer savings to utility default rates and $23 million in collective CPCNH member community reserves for rate stability. There are now 58 municipal or county CPCNH members serving 66 communities and representing more than 35% of the population of New Hampshire.