Rindge Chamber hosts after-hours event

On Nov. 15, the Rindge Chamber of Commerce held a Business After Hours at the Hilltop House at Cathedral of the Pines, where 23 people had hors d’oeuvres and drinks as they learned about the electricity market and alternatives to purchasing electricity from the utility that can save them money and help make their power greener.

Robert Hayden, president and chief technical officer of Standard Power, and community power consultant Emily Manns talked about their work aggregating power for municipalities, small businesses and school districts. Attendees learned that the towns of Rindge and Jaffrey and the Jaffrey-Rindge School District have been buying their electricity supply through Standard Power for about a decade, and participate in their hydro group net-metering program, resulting in thousands of dollars in savings each year. They talked about their support for renewable energy options that increasingly save customers money as well as reduce reliance on fossil fuels, including group net metering and Community Power.

Community Power is a new option where towns and cities purchase electricity for their residents and small businesses, bringing the power of the competitive market to small customers. It was first approved by the New Hampshire Legislature in 2019, and the final rules were approved in September 2022, setting off efforts to produce community power plans and programs across the state. Standard Power has been developing this new service for nine municipal clients, and its first plan (Keene) was approved by the Public Utilities Commission in October. The first programs are expected to go live in the new year.

Business owners with solar developments in process, a local solar developer, nonprofits and community members from Rindge, Jaffrey and Fitzwilliam took part in discussions before and after the presentation.

To learn about membership in the Rindge Chamber and upcoming events, visit rindgechamber.org.