State of NH Emergency Energy Assistance: How to Apply by NHEC | Oct 10, 2022 | Financial Assistance, Uncategorized$35M in funding for emergency energy assistance for New Hampshire residents is now available to help with high energy prices this fall and winter. New Hampshire residents are seeing higher energy bills due to the current high energy prices. Energy markets worldwide are volatile, and the higher prices we are seeing are the result of an energy supply crunch brought about by increased energy usage as the economy recovers from the COVID pandemic, uncertainties in supply stemming from the ongoing war in Ukraine, and growing inflation. Although these factors are out of our control, the State of New Hampshire has recently adopted legislation to provide emergency energy assistance to qualifying households. The State of New Hampshire will provide this assistance through the local Community Action Agencies. Who Is Eligible? Households with incomes between 60% and 75% of the state median income may qualify for: A one-time credit of $450 for heating assistance. A one-time credit of $200 on electric bills. Households with incomes below 60% of State Median Income may be eligible for assistance through: Fuel Assistance Program – provides benefits to qualified New Hampshire households to assist with heating costs. Electric Assistance Program – provides eligible customers with a discount on their monthly electric bills. Gas Assistance Program – provides eligible customers with a discount on their natural gas winter heating bills. How to Apply To apply for assistance or to learn more about the application process, households should contact their local Community Action Agency to set up an appointment. 75% New Hampshire State Median Income Guidelines Income eligibility based on family size and gross annual income. For a family of 1, a maximum gross annual income of $48,711 For a family of 2, a maximum gross annual income of $63,699 For a family of 3, a maximum gross annual income of $78,688 For a family of 4, a maximum gross annual income of $93,676 For a family of 5, a maximum gross annual income of $108,664 For a family of 6, a maximum gross annual income of $123,653 For a family of 7, a maximum gross annual income of $126,463 For a family of 8, a maximum gross annual income of $129,274
NHEC, Conexon Announce Partnership for Broadband Expansion by NHEC | Oct 7, 2022 | Broadband, UncategorizedPLYMOUTH, NH – New Hampshire Electric Cooperative (NHEC) is expanding its partnership with rural fiber-optic network design and construction management leader Conexon to bring fiber-to-the-home service across the cooperative’s territory. NHEC and Conexon have already worked together to provide gigabit speed internet access to two communities, Acworth and Sandwich, and will soon expand to 32 communities throughout Grafton County. NH Broadband, the co-op’s fiber subsidiary, will ultimately offer high-speed fiber internet service that spans nine counties and nearly 120 communities. Service is available today for customers in Acworth, Sandwich, Clarksville, Colebrook, Lempster and Stewartstown, and the first customers in Grafton County are expected to be connected in the first quarter of 2023. Conexon is providing a comprehensive range of fiber broadband services including network design, construction project management, engineering and operations support. Additionally, through its internet service provider subsidiary, Conexon Connect, the company is also providing services including customer sign-ups, installations, billing, technical support and access to multi-gigabit speed packages. “Making high-speed, affordable internet available to all of our members who need it is a major undertaking, on par with the effort to bring light and power to these same locations more than 80 years ago. We’re thrilled to have Conexon’s resources and experience available as we work to bring this next essential service to our members,” said NHEC President/CEO Alyssa Clemsen Roberts. “We’re excited to build on our current relationship with New Hampshire Electric Cooperative and make a difference in the lives of even more residents who are currently unserved or underserved with broadband,” Conexon Founding Partner Randy Klindt said. “We are pleased to have such a positive and productive partnership with Alyssa and her team, one that enables us to further our mission of closing the digital divide.” The lightning-fast fiber-optic network offered by NH Broadband will give members access to symmetrical multi-gigabit internet capabilities – among the fastest and most robust in the nation. Additionally, it will enable enhancements and smart grid capabilities to the electrical infrastructure, including improved power outage response times, better load balancing and more efficient electricity delivery. Conexon brings to the project unmatched experience and expertise in deploying rural FTTH networks. The company has designed more than 200,000 miles of fiber for cooperative projects and builds more than 50,000 fiber miles of fiber annually. In addition, Conexon has created a broad ecosystem of equipment and labor resources specializing in rural fiber builds. Since forming six years ago, Conexon has assisted nearly 275 electric cooperatives, 75 of which are deploying fiber networks, with more than 500,000 connected fiber-to-the-home subscribers across the U.S. About NH Electric Cooperative New Hampshire Electric Cooperative is a member-owned not-for-profit electric utility, headquartered in Plymouth, N.H. NHEC connects its 85,000 members through 6,000 miles of energized lines, crossing 118 communities throughout New Hampshire. About Conexon Conexon works with Rural Electric Cooperatives to bring fiber to the home in rural communities. The company is comprised of professionals who have worked in electric cooperatives and the telecommunications industry, and offer decades of individual experience in business planning, building networks, marketing and selling telecommunications. Conexon offers its electric cooperative clients end-to-end broadband deployment and operations support, from a project’s conception all the way through to its long-term sustainability. It works with clients to analyze economic feasibility, secure financing, design the network, manage construction, provide operational support, optimize business performance and determine optimal partnerships. To date, Conexon has assisted more than 275 electric cooperatives, 60 of which are deploying fiber networks, with more than 500,000 rural Americans connected to fiber to the home. The company has secured nearly $2 billion in federal, state and local grants and subsidies for its clients.
NHEC to Hold Informational Session on Selective Herbicide Treatments by Alicia Melanson | Sep 14, 2022 | UncategorizedMEREDITH, NH – New Hampshire Electric Cooperative will host a public information session about the selective use of herbicides in power line rights-of-way on September 21 at 6 p.m. at the Meredith Community Center. The meeting, which was organized with help from the Waukewan Winona Watershed Protective Association, is free to attend and open to anyone with questions about herbicide treatments and their impact on local ecology. A Q&A session will follow brief presentations by NHEC Arborists and representatives of Vegetation Control Service (VSC), NHEC’s licensed contractor that applies approved herbicides under the supervision of NHEC Arborists. WHERE: Meredith Community Center; 1 Circle Drive, Meredith, NH 03253 WHEN: Wednesday, September 21 at 6 p.m.
NHEC Announces Hiring of Alyssa Clemsen Roberts as President/CEO by weduadmin | Jul 29, 2022 | Uncategorized PLYMOUTH, NH – New Hampshire Electric Cooperative (NHEC) Board Chair Jeffrey Morrill is pleased to announce the hiring of Alyssa Clemsen Roberts as NHEC’s new President/Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Clemsen Roberts comes to NHEC from Colorado, where she most recently served as CEO of the Delta-Montrose Electric Association (DMEA), and President of DMEA’s wholly-owned for-profit fiber internet subsidiary, Elevate. Prior to joining DMEA and Elevate, Clemsen Roberts served as the chief strategy officer at Platte River Power Authority in Fort Collins, CO, where she led Platte River’s government relations and community engagement activities, energy efficiency and distributed resource programs, internal and external communications, human resources and safety. She served four years in the United States Navy and graduated summa cum laude from Park University with a B.S. in business management. “We are excited and fortunate to be welcoming Alyssa to NHEC at this time,” said Morrill. “Her skills, experience and energy separated her from a strong, national field of candidates during the board’s search. She is deeply committed to the principles of member-owned cooperatives and the value they provide to members and their communities. She is also a nationally recognized expert on rural broadband issues, which will be a big boost to NHEC’s ongoing efforts to make high-speed internet access available to all members.” “I’m honored and excited to be joining the team at New Hampshire Electric Cooperative,” said Clemsen Roberts. “It’s clear that NHEC is a forward-thinking and member-focused organization, as they’ve demonstrated in their efforts to expand broadband access, which is a vital need in rural areas. There are challenges ahead for NHEC and its members, not least of which is the affordability of energy in New Hampshire, but I look forward to working together with the board, staff and members of NHEC to find solutions.” Clemsen Roberts will officially assume her duties on September 6, 2022.
Acworth, NHEC Celebrate a Rural Broadband Milestone by Alicia Melanson | Jul 19, 2022 | Broadband, UncategorizedACWORTH, NH – It used to take more than 18 hours for the United Church of Acworth to upload one weekly church service to the internet, recalled parishioner Sally Eaton, if its slow connection didn’t time out first. But since the launch this month of New Hampshire Electric Cooperative’s (NHEC) town-wide fiber-optic service, the job is done in minutes. “Our mission is to share our services with everyone, and this is making it much easier to do that,” Eaton told a gathering of town officials, residents and others celebrating the arrival July 14 of high-speed internet to this Sullivan County town of fewer than a thousand residents. Some parishioners are not physically able to attend services, Eaton explained, others are traveling but want to feel part of the congregation when they’re away. A new 1-Gig fiber internet connection in the historic church is already providing new ways to bring people together in a place that’s been the center of town life for more than 200 years. The start of service to Acworth this month marks the fifth town that NHEC has connected to broadband internet via its subsidiary, NH Broadband. Fiber-optic networks built in Colebrook, Clarksville, Stewartstown and Lempster are online and serving NHEC members in locations where high-speed service options have been limited or non-existent. NHEC and NH Broadband will start service to the Town of Sandwich later this summer, and recently announced plans to expand into more than 30 Grafton County towns in the next 18 months. “All the credit goes to you, the members,” said NHEC Board Chair Jeffrey Morrill, explaining that NHEC’s push for high-speed internet access began as a member-driven response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which exposed New Hampshire’s digital divide and made rural access to high-speed internet “an essential service.” Gregg Thibodeau, an Acworth resident and Lead of the Acworth Broadband Committee, said that townspeople had been getting by with slow connections for years, but the COVID-19 pandemic exposed the need for faster service that could keep up with the new demand for bandwidth. “On behalf of the several hundred anxious, internet customers in town, I can’t begin to tell you what high speed broadband service means to them,” Thibodeau said. “And even though COVID is abating, we are not likely to turn back the clock on the internet demand. More often folks are looking for jobs online, remote working opportunities, training, and schooling, which can be very time consuming and limited in our rural community.” Thibodeau said high-speed internet is also helping his work on the Acworth Conservation Commission, as the group seeks to protect and conserve the town’s resources. “We need access to online tools and data, such as GRANITView, ARCGIS, NH Fish & Game and DES studies and maps and UNH’s Cooperative Extension information. Accessing layers of maps for two or three properties in GRANITView was a two-to-four-hour exercise for me, now it takes minutes.” PHOTO CAPTION: Celebrating a rural broadband milestone in Acworth on July 14 were representatives of the Town of Acworth, state government, United Church of Acworth, NHEC, NH Broadband and its project partners.
NHEC Sets New Power Rate by NHEC | Jun 28, 2022 | Rates, UncategorizedPLYMOUTH, NH (June 28, 2022) – New Hampshire Electric Cooperative (NHEC) is increasing its Co-op Power Charge from 9.62 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) to 16.98 cents per kWh. The new rate will take effect with bills rendered on or after August 1, 2022. The Co-op Power Charge includes the cost that NHEC pays to purchase electricity on behalf of its members from the wholesale electricity market. The cost of these electric market purchases is directly passed through to members who have not chosen to purchase power from a competitive supplier. NHEC does not add any additional charges or fees to its Co-op Power Charge, and it does not fund NHEC’s operations. In New England, natural gas is the predominant fuel used to generate electricity. The price of natural gas is nearly three times higher than this time last year. Natural gas prices are impacted by global supply and demand, which has led to historically high electricity prices in New England and across the country. The new Co-op Power Charge and Regional Access Charge will result in a $37.55 a month increase for the typical residential member using 500 kWh per month, or 32% total bill increase. Members using 1,000 kWh per month will see a total bill increase of $75.09 per month, or 37%. “The price of the electricity NHEC purchases for our members who opt to take Co-op Power energy service has continued to climb,” said Brian Callnan, NHEC’s VP of Power Resources and Access. “An adjustment to the Co-op Power Charge will help stabilize our members’ electricity costs through the upcoming fall and winter.” “From the supermarket to the gas station to the electric meter, costs are up across the board,” said Jim Bakas, NHEC’s Interim General Manager. “We know that any rate increase is difficult for our members, many of whom are on fixed incomes or already struggling to pay their bills. We want our members to know that we are here to help and there are Co-op, state and local assistance programs available. We encourage members to call us at (800) 698-2007, or visit www.nhec.com/financial-assistance. Our Member Solutions representatives are ready to create payment plans or budget billing that works for you. Our Energy Solutions department is also ready to help with efficiency programs that offer incentives, rebates, and advice for getting the most from your energy dollars.” Co-op Power Rate Adjustment Schedule NHEC has traditionally adjusted the Co-op Power and Regional Access Charges in May to reflect power and transmission costs for the upcoming summer period, and again in November for the winter period ahead. To mitigate seasonal price fluctuations and provide NHEC members with more stable rates, NHEC is changing the time of year it sets these charges to August and February of each year. Setting the Co-op Power Charge in August and February will align NHEC with other New Hampshire utilities and avoid the large swings in electricity prices that have occurred over the past several years.