Energy Aggregation Committee — January 14, 2026
No public comments, no split votes, and discussions remained informational despite several off-agenda items.
Public impact
Community Power aggregation program launch delay
Solar zoning ordinance change
Wastewater treatment plant solar bond
Decisions logged
Topics discussed
▶ 00:00 Attendance and Introductions
Committee members and guests introduced themselves; Katherine Buchoyev chaired the meeting.
▶ 00:25 Approval of Prior Minutes
Motion to approve November 12 minutes passed with no discussion.
▶ 01:01 Community Power Rate Update
Discussion of CPCNH coalition rates (-10.9 cents/kWh range) versus Eversource; delays due to PUC reconciliation order and under-collections; rates not yet finalized for February 2026 period.
▶ 15:30 Solar Zoning Ordinance
Review of proposed zoning amendment defining residential/commercial solar as accessory use only; excludes solar farms; concerns about public confusion on ballot wording and role in education.
▶ 48:41 Wastewater Treatment Plant Solar Array
Bond article for $1.3M solar array and efficiency measures at plant; funding via DES loan forgiveness, possible federal credits, and user fees; not a committee project but linked to public education needs.
▶ 1:11:05 Ballot/ booklet wording on Water & Sewer Commission support
Discussion on whether to note Water and Sewer Commission recommendation in deliberative materials and confirming support via chair Teddy and staff Holly.
▶ 1:12:35 New London wastewater agreement disclosure
Consideration of referencing New London sewer customers (over 60% of fees) and the inter-municipal agreement/metering arrangement in public materials.
▶ 1:15:06 Public education and outreach for solar bond vote
Planning handouts, informational sessions (library/LSPA), and use of other NH towns' solar-at-WWTP examples ahead of the March 10 vote.
▶ 1:22:12 Water & Sewer Commission participation and meeting logistics
Review of Right-to-Know requirements for commission member attendance and coordination for a post-deliberative-session informational meeting.
▶ 1:26:01 Future meeting schedule
Agreement to shift regular meetings to the last Wednesday of the month at 5.30 p.m. and reset the 2026 calendar.
Controversy & dissent
Potentially controversial issues
Solar zoning ordinance ballot wording
Community Power rate finalization and launch delay
Action items
Notable statements
CPCNH rates are highest announced; towns unlikely to launch until Eversource reconciliation resolved; coalition betting on low opt-out rates to rebuild reserves. — Doug Cogan · Community Power rates discussion ▶ 11:56
Ordinance allows business accessory solar but prohibits solar farms for profit; public may misread 'commercial' on ballot as allowing large arrays. — Katherine Buchoyev · Solar zoning ordinance ▶ 20:50
Project expects $250k DES forgiveness plus possible $300k+ federal credit; repayment via energy savings and sewer fees with no tax rate impact. — Betty · Wastewater solar array funding ▶ 48:41
16 other towns in New Hampshire already have solar installations at their wastewater treatment plants; actions speak louder than words and Sunapee is following established practice. — Unidentified speaker · Public education discussion ▶ 1:15:09
New London customers pay over 60% of sewer fees; there is a meter at the town line and New London maintains the George's Mills pump station. — Unidentified speaker · Clarifying inter-municipal arrangement ▶ 1:14:14
Member positions
Positions marked ~ are inferred from context and may not reflect the member's explicitly stated position.
Public comment
Accountability flags
Agenda items not discussed
Topics discussed — not on agenda
Transcript vs. official minutes
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grok-4.3, claude-opus-4-7 · analyzed 2026-05-27.