Dear Wilton Residents,
As you may be aware, the Wilton Community Power program is launching soon. The purpose of this memo is to provide you with an overview of the program launch process and a summary of the program, so that you can be prepared for any questions your constituents may have.
Wilton Community Power will offer new electricity supply options for our entire community. Customers currently using Eversource’s “Default Service” supply are eligible for automatic enrollment. Other customers that have already chosen a different supplier (other than Eversource) may elect to join if desired.
At launch, our primary electricity offering, Wilton Standard, will cost 11.470 cents/kwh, significantly less
than the current Eversource Default Service supply rate of 20.221 cents/kWh. Additionally, Wilton Standard provides cleaner electricity than Default Service, with 33% renewable energy compared to Eversource’s 23%. Wilton joined together with Keene, Marlborough and Swanzey to jointly procure a competitive supplier, Direct Energy, to provide electricity to our program. By joining together, Wilton was able to benefit from greater buying power (see joint press release). The Town has worked with consulting partners Good Energy & Standard Power to develop this program and conduct bidding for electricity, and the consultants will manage the launch and oversight of the program.
The new electricity supply options from Wilton Community Power will begin with customers’ June meter read. Prior to the start of the program, we are conducting a notification and education process to make residents and businesses aware of their options.
● April 10: a postcard announcing the upcoming program will arrive to any customer eligible for automatic enrollment
● April 20 (start of the 30-day customer consideration period): a detailed Customer Notification Letter will arrive to all electricity customers informing them of the upcoming program and its pricing. It also informs them how to choose a different program option or, if eligible for automatic enrollment, how to opt-out. There are two versions of the letter: one for those that will be automatically enrolled and another for those that must elect to join. The Customer Notification Letter for automatic enrollment will also contain instructions to opt-out before the program begins. Those customers can opt-out via a postage-paid mailer included with the letter, calling the supplier, or using the online form.
● April 24: Community meeting to provide an overview of the program and answer questions will take place on April 24th, 2023 at 6:00 pm at Town Hall located at 42 Main St in Wilton.
● May 20: this is the end of the 30-day consideration period. Any customer that opts-out by this deadline will not be enrolled in the program.
After the May 20 deadline, customers can still opt-out at any time, without penalty or can change their program option at any time. Their choice will take effect on their next available meter read.
Program Update as of July 27th
The Public Utilities Commission still hasn’t approved any plan from any community yet, as they are still waiting to adopt rules for the program. The next PUC meeting is on July 27th, and addressing rulemaking is finally on the agenda, so hopefully we will see some progress and can proceed with getting Wilton’s plan approved.
In addition, recently the PUC rejected Keene’s plan based on the lack of well-defined data protections. Our partners are going to submit an addendum to the Wilton plan for the Select Board to approve and implement to address these data control issues.
We will post updates on this page as things progress. For questions, feel free to contact our Town Administrator Nick Germain at [email protected].
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On November 1st, 2021, Wilton’s Select Board established a new Community Power Aggregation Committee. The purpose of this effort is to consider new municipal power aggregation opportunities provided for New Hampshire communities by recently passed state legislation. This committee will consist of no more than 7 members, and will meet with vetted subject matter experts to discuss possibilities.
Current members include:
Rachel Chumbley
Michael Dell'Orto
Jerry Humphrey
Ric Lavelle
Kermit Williams, Select Board Representative
John Zavgren
Public Input Needed!
The Committee has released a Community Survey and scheduled Public Hearings for January 24th at noon and 5:30 to gather input on a Community Power program for Wilton. The Committee is working with the consulting team of Standard Power and Good Energy to help develop its Plan in time for voters to consider at Town meeting in March.
The survey will take only a few minutes, and is completely anonymous. You can complete the survey as a resident, business owner, or both. Note that paper copies of the survey are also available at the Wilton Town Hall and Library.
To complete the survey, click https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WiltonCP
Q: What is Community Power Aggregation?
Community Power Aggregation is a way for rate payers in a given community – the local government buyers, businesses, non-profits, and residents alike – to optionally combine their electricity usage together and negotiate how they receive power. As a collective group, participants are then able to leverage their aggregated buying power for desirable rates and greater control over the ultimate source of their electricity supply. This is an option to potentially save money and/or to advance sustainability goals.
Q: As a resident, business, or property owner… would I be FORCED to participate?
NO! Should a community power aggregation group be established in Wilton, there would be clear opt-in or opt-out policies. But this is why participation in this committee is important: The Committee could very well have a huge role to play in crafting the rules for a potential aggregation group participation.
Q: Why is a committee needed to look into these topics?
Because there are many options and subjects to consider. Potentially the entire process could be tailored to fit Wilton’s local needs.
Q: If this went forward, would only one option be available?
NO. One of the key benefits of an aggregation group is that it is very customizable: The group could choose say, three rates of power: One that maximizes renewable energy, one that emphasizes a mix, and one that maximizes savings for rate payers.
Q: Wait, how is it possible for this to save money?
Due to the intricacies of electricity markets in the United States, chances are high you or your neighbor are currently buying electricity through the default standard rate set by your utility company. This standard rate fluctuates periodically based on larger market demands and is generally favorable to the local utility provider. Likewise, if you participate individually in a competitive provider option, oftentimes you’re not accessing the best rate or options possible: The bulk participation of an aggregation -group as a collective buyer can represent considerable leverage.
Q: I don’t see any massive solar or hydropower dams nearby… how could such a group support renewable sources here?
Although the electrons powering your property may in literal terms come from regional utility scale electricity producers, power in the country is ultimately carefully tracked and sold on abstract marketplaces. This means an aggregation group could choose options that support renewable energy sources of their choice over less green ones as an option.