Lebanon joined with at least 26 (and growing) New Hampshire communities to create a not-for-profit power agency, the Community Power Coalition of New Hampshire (CPCNH). That enables the City to negotiate better deals for electricity supply than a utility could get. Utilities will still maintain the transmission lines, deliver the electricity, and bill customers. But Community Power will negotiate where that electricity comes from and at what price.

Purpose

Lebanon Community Power will help us reach our goal of relying less on fossil fuel-generated electricity and relying more on local renewable energy. It is being designed to save money as well as bring new efficiencies, value-added services, and rate options to local electricity consumers.  

How It Will Work

Lebanon customers of Liberty Utilities default energy service will not need to do anything to join Lebanon Community Power. At least one month in advance of the launch of the program, customers will receive a notice that they will be enrolled in Lebanon Community Power unless they opt-out to remain with Liberty. The notice will include the Liberty rate and the Lebanon Community Power rate to compare. Customers currently purchasing through competitive suppliers may choose to opt-in to Lebanon Community Power at the launch of the program or in the future. Customers will be free to leave Lebanon Community Power if they are unhappy with the program. The Electric Assistance Program will remain unchanged. 

Opt Up to Greener Power

When you first become part of Lebanon Community Power in April, you will automatically be placed into the Granite Basic rate class, which uses the state-mandated minimum of 23.4% renewable energy. However, if you’d really like to do something significant about global warming, you can easily Opt Up to a rate class option with a higher percentage of renewable energy in order to further reduce the CO2 emissions associated with electricity generation.

What environmental impact will Opting Up Have? Huge!

• An average household opting for Clean 100% renewables will save 1.8 tons of CO2, and have the equivalent impact of installing solar panels at a fraction of the cost!
• A household choosing Clean 50 will save 0.6 tons of CO2.

How much more will it cost me to Opt Up? Surprisingly little!

• The Granite Plus rate option will cost less than 10 additional cents a day or less than $30 a year more than the Granite Basic option. At the current Liberty price projected over a year, the Granite Plus option will still save $418 for a household with an average usage of 7200 kWh a year.
• The same average household opting for Clean 50 will pay only one penny per kWh, about $79 per year more than for Granite Basic, and will still save $370 a year compared with the current Liberty price.
• Clean 100 will cost $238 a year more than Granite Basic and will still save $209 over the current Liberty rate.

Right now all the greener options save money compared to the current Liberty Utilities rates! Consider what you can afford. Encourage your friends to Opt Up. You can opt back down at any time.

The chart below compares the rates for Lebanon Community Power options with the current Liberty Utilities rate of 22.007 cents per kWh. (Rates are for Energy Supply Only, also called "Energy Service" or "Electricity" on Liberty Utilies' bills)

Take action to Opt Up

If you do nothing you will automatically be placed in Granite Basic and stay there. To Opt up, remember to go to the website Lebanon.CommunityPowerNH.gov in late April or call 1-603-866-POWR and choose Granite Plus, Clean 50 or Clean 100.

How much will it actually cost me and how much CO2 will I save?

To calculate what you will pay (and save) in a year you would first estimate your average monthly usage from your electric bill, say about 175 kWh per month on a bill shown below. Multiply it times 12 to get your annual kWh use. Or call Liberty at 800-375-7413 for a precise amount.

Multiply your annual usage times each rate option (changed from cents into dollars) to get your estimated dollars per year, and times the estimated savings for each option (changed to dollars) to get your savings per year. Note that the Liberty rate will probably decrease beginning in July and may then be less than the Clean 100 or even Clean 50 rate. You can always choose to opt down later.

The generation of NH electricity with the legally required minimum of 23.4% renewable electricity results in 0.469 pounds of CO2 per kilowatt hour. To estimate the amount of CO2 you are generating at the Granite Basic rate, multiply your annual kWh usage x .469/2000. If you Opt Up to Clean 100 you save all of that amount. If you Opt Up to Clean 50 you save 33% of that amount.

How do I Opt Up?

Go to Lebanon.CommunityPowerNH.gov . Click “Lebanon Community Power” then click “Electricity Choices”. You will need your Liberty account number (from your bill) and your zip code to choose a power option with a higher % of renewables. This is what the web page will look like:

- Jonathan Chaffee, Sustainable Lebanon Facebook

• 1990s: Utility restructuring legislation is adopted in NH, enabling municipalities to purchase electricity for their residents.  Clifton Below, as a legislator, is instrumental in writing this legislation.
• 2019: An 'opt-out' revision to that legislation is added, making Community Power (CP) programs feasible.
• 2019: A statewide Organizing Group forms to explore CP.  It is led by Lebanon, Hanover, Nashua, Harrisville, Cheshire County, and certain key experts in the field. The Organizing Group participates in NH Public Utility Commission (PUC) and legislative hearings to create the rules and procedures needed for Community Power to happen.
• 2020: The Organizing Group, led by Lebanon and Hanover, raises funds to retain legal aid, incorporate as a statewide governmental entity, and draft a Joint Powers Agreement.  This Agreement becomes the foundation for the Community Power Coalition of NH (CPCNH or Coalition).
• 2021: The NH Attorney General approves the CPCNH governing agreement.  Lebanon and Hanover are the first municipalities to approve the Joint Powers Agreement that creates the Coalition.
• 2021: The Coalition hires staff using grant funds that Lebanon has obtained for the purpose from the NH Clean Energy Development Fund.  
• 2021: Clifton Below is elected Chair of CPCNH.
• 2021-2022: The Coalition, counsel, and staff hire companies to provide the services, credit support, and electricity procurement to launch and operate Community Power programs.  More communities join the initiative.  The Coalition works actively with the PUC and state utilities to further refine the rules and procedures needed to launch CP programs.
• 2022: $750,000 in start-up funding and a $7 million line of credit are secured.
• 2023, spring: Lebanon Community Power to launch in the 'first wave' of municipalities involving up to 15 towns and cities, providing electricity that is cheaper than utility default service and three green power options.

Lebanon Community Power FAQs

Want to know more about Lebanon Community Power? Read our answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the program. Questions are categorized into the following topics:

• Community Power Basics
• Community Power Governance and Funding
• Role of the Electric Distribution Utility
• Product Options
• Electric Assistance Program and Net Metering
• Rate Setting
• Enrollment

View, print, or download the entire Lebanon Community Power FAQ document.

Community Power Coalition of NH FAQs

The Community Power Coalition of NH (CPCNH) also hosts a Frequently Asked Questions page with answers to questions related more broadly to CPCNH. Their list of FAQs includes, but is not limited to, the following topics:

• What is Community Power?
• Why adopt Community Power? What's the point?
• What is the Community Power Coalition of New Hampshire?
• How is Community Power funded? Are taxpayer funds used? 
• Are Community Power customers still eligible for NHSAVES rebates?
• Who do I call with questions about my bill? 
• Can I opt out? 
• How are Community Power rates set? 
• How does Community Power work for Net Metering?

Get answers to all these questions and more at CommunityPowerNH.gov/FAQs.

Stay informed by email or text when Lebanon Community Power posts news updates. The following steps explain how to subscribe to the Lebanon Community Power news list.

1. Visit our NotifyMe page at LebanonNH.gov/NotifyMe.
2. Enter your email address and/or phone number and choose how you would like to receive your notifications.
3. Scroll down and look for the Lebanon Community Power list under Newsflashes. You can subscribe to other lists that interest you as well. 
4. Click the email symbol () and/or text symbol () next to the lists to indicate how you would like to receive your alerts. You will not be subscribed until you respond to the confirmation email and/or text you receive.

Subscribe to receive alerts today!  

Join the Lebanon Energy Advisory Committee (LEAC)

Want to get involved with City oversight of Lebanon Community Power and other energy issues? Join the Lebanon Energy Advisory Committee (LEAC) or attend a meeting.

Provide Feedback

If you are unable to attend a LEAC meeting but have feedback you would like to provide, please use our Boards and Committees feedback form to submit your comments to the Lebanon Energy Advisory Committee.

Visit the Community Power Coalition of NH (CPCNH) Website

The Community Power Coalition of NH (CPCNH) website provides more information, including a Media tab with videos. Visit CPCNH.org for more details.