Candidates Wanted for Board of Directors & Nominating Committee

by | Nov 12, 2020 | Annual Meeting, Uncategorized

NHEC is governed by a Board of Directors, which is elected by our members. Each year, a Nominating Committee recommends candidates to run for the Board of Directors. NHEC is seeking members interested in serving on both panels – the Board of Directors and the Nominating Committee.

Board of Directors

In 2021, four seats on the 11-member Board of Directors will be up for election to three-year terms. Voting will take place by mail or electronic ballot in May 2021, with new Board members taking their seats at the June annual meeting of members.  NHEC seeks broad representation from a diverse group of individuals and encourages all qualified members to consider running.  You must be a Co-op member in order to run for a position on the Board.  For more information about how to get your name on next year’s ballot, contact Sharon Yeaton at 603-536-8801, or yeatons@nhec.com.

Nominating Committee

The Nominating Committee reviews the qualifications of potential candidates seeking election to the Board of Directors and nominates a slate of candidates to run for the four open seats.  Any Co-op member interested in being part of the candidate selection process for the NHEC Board of Directors is encouraged to apply for a position on the Nominating Committee.  For more information about time requirements and applying to be considered for the Nominating Committee, contact Sharon Yeaton at 603-536-8801, or yeatons@nhec.com.

NHEC Closed November 11 for Veterans Day

by | Nov 10, 2020 | Uncategorized

NHEC and the NHEC Member Solutions Call Center will be closed in observance of Veterans Day on Wednesday, November 11, 2020. Members can still make automated payments on SmartHub or by calling 800.698.2007. The NHEC Control Center is staffed 24/7. To report an outage, please call 800.343.6432.

NHEC Sets Co-op Power and Transmission Rates for Upcoming Winter

by | Oct 26, 2020 | Rates, Uncategorized

PLYMOUTH, NH – New Hampshire Electric Cooperative (NHEC) rates for the upcoming winter period will increase 9.5% over current summer rates, but are down 1.7% from last winter’s rate.

The rate changes take effect with bills rendered on or after November 1 and are the result of adjustments to two portions of members’ bills: the Co-op Power Charge and the Regional Access Charge. The Co-op Power Charge reflects the cost NHEC pays to purchase electricity for its members from the wholesale market. The cost of this power is directly passed through to members who do not purchase electricity from a competitive supplier. The Regional Access Charge includes the transmission costs NHEC pays to deliver electricity to its distribution system. As with the Co-op Power Charge, the costs NHEC incurs from transmission companies are passed directly through to members.

For a residential member using 500 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity per month, the winter rate changes will result in an overall bill increase of $9.43 (9.5%) per month when compared to summer rates.  However, the new winter rate is a decrease of $1.93 (1.7%) per month when compared to rates in effect last November. NHEC’s Delivery Charge rate and Member Service Charge portions of members’ bills are not changing, in line with NHEC’s stated goal of not increasing distribution charges in 2020. These two charges pay for NHEC’s operations and investments in the Co-op’s distribution system.

The increase in the Co-op Power Charge is primarily due to an annual pattern of higher energy costs in winter months in New England. During the winter, the demand for natural gas as a heating fuel increases. Since natural gas is used to generate much of the electricity in New England, the increased demand for natural gas to heat homes and businesses causes the price of electricity to increase. The increase in the Regional Access Charge is primarily due to continued investment and maintenance of high voltage electrical lines by the transmission companies that own them. The Regional Access Charge also includes a credit from revenue associated with the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.

NHEC’s winter rates are in effect from November 1 to May 1. A complete list of NHEC rates and fees is available HERE

NHEC Members Approve Bylaw Amendments

by | Oct 16, 2020 | Broadband, Uncategorized

PLYMOUTH, NH – Members of New Hampshire Electric Cooperative (NHEC) have approved amendments to the Co-op’s bylaws that will provide its Board of Directors with flexibility to consider all options on how to ensure its members have access to high speed internet service.

By a vote of 8,853 YES to 1,158 NO, the proposed bylaw changes were approved by 88.4% of members voting, exceeding the two-thirds majority required for passage. These bylaw changes give NHEC the ability to respond quickly and efficiently to federal, state, and local funding opportunities. The changes will also allow NHEC’s Board of Directors to enter into strategic partnerships and evaluate the best organizational structure to meet the goal of ensuring members have access to the broadband service they need.

“The members and communities NHEC serves need access to affordable, reliable, high speed internet,” said Tom Mongeon, Chair of NHEC’s Board of Directors. “Passage of these bylaw changes will allow the Board of Directors to fully evaluate all options and make the best decisions for our members. The level of participation in this election is a demonstration of our members’ interest in NHEC moving forward on broadband and a sign of the Co-op’s health. Just as it brought electricity to rural New Hampshire 80 years ago, NHEC is well positioned to provide high speed internet to these same areas of our state.”

NHEC’s Board of Directors has been evaluating various business models and funding opportunities over the past several months. Passage of these bylaw changes supports those efforts and will allow NHEC to take advantage of emerging opportunities and partnerships. For all the latest NHEC broadband news, visit www.nhec.com/broadband.