...AND CHEAPER...:

By offering up thousands of customers, he said, the coalition could attract offers from electric suppliers at competitive rates. Towns also would get to decide where the energy comes from, allowing them to set and meet greater sustainability goals, added Kreis, a state official who represents the interests of residential ratepayers before the Public Utilities Commission.

"That would make them a formidable presence in the wholesale market," he said.

Lebanon Assistant Mayor Clifton Below said the coalition is based on similar groups in Massachusetts, Vermont and California that allow municipalities to procure electricity for residents and businesses through the open market.

Below, a former public utilities commissioner, worked over the last 18 months with consultants and officials from neighboring towns to get the coalition started, following on the heels of a 2019 state law that opened the door to municipal aggregation.

Community power, he said, could lead to several cost-saving initiatives. For instance, the city could choose to buy from a supplier offering lower prices, or it could implement newer, more dynamic ways of calculating bills, such as "real time" pricing that would offer lower rates for running a dishwasher overnight, when the demand for power is less.

Below also said the program could offer options for people to get a larger share of their energy through renewable sources, such as solar and wind.

"To keep customers around, we want to create options where people can see savings compared to utility default service," he said.

Tweet   @brothersjudd