Community Power Rate Competitiveness and Underbilling Recovery
Potential $50M utility underbilling recovery and provider competitiveness directly affect resident electricity costs.
Utilities' spot-market purchases encouraged by the PUC created a $50M underbilling now targeted for recovery, raising questions about whether Community Power participants will face higher rates. The energy committee tracked competitiveness issues across three meetings while expressing concern over potential cost shifting. Rates are scheduled to be set in August.
The Community Power rate competitiveness and underbilling recovery issue originated from utilities engaging in spot-market purchases encouraged by the PUC, which produced a $50M aggregate underbilling across three utilities and prompted efforts to recover those costs through future rates.
At the April 2026 energy committee meeting, members compared Community Power Coalition rates against NextEra and recorded the town's switch of municipal facilities to NextEra because of significantly lower rates, highlighting early competitiveness concerns.
The May 2026 meeting reviewed the Community Power Coalition annual meeting and an unresolved unit sale proceeding through public utilities, noting the absence of specific information on resulting rate impacts for participants.
By June 2026 the committee directly addressed the $50M underbilling, the utilities' pursuit of 21¢/kWh recovery via the PUC, and the resulting debate over whether costs would be placed on distribution rates or confined to default supply customers.
NH law restricts such recoveries to exceptional cases, and speakers stated that Community Power customers should remain exempt, leading the group to express concern about cost shifting and the PUC's track record.
No formal action was taken, but the committee identified August rate-setting and ongoing monitoring of CPCNH proposals and ISO-NE trends as immediate next steps.
Rates to be set in August; further monitoring of CPCNH proposals and ISO-NE trends.
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