Buy Local- a slogan we hear when going to our favorite 'Mom and Pop' retail stores, or family-owned restaurants in town.  Supporting communities has long been a cornerstone of the small-town experience in America. Can the same be said for the energy space?

New Hampshire is host to a diverse energy ecosystem. With long-standing hydro dams throughout the state, and newer solar arrays being strategically placed, there are new ways to support NH businesses in the grid.

When a hydro dam or solar array is larger than 1 MW it sells that power to the utility within which it resides (a 1MW solar array takes up roughly 2.5 football fields). The owners of these assets look to balance their power output with consumption from electric accounts.  The process of matching a utility account with an off-site generation asset is called virtual net metering. Moreover, the process of compiling numerous utility accounts together for a single off-site asset is called group net metering.

The incentive for the accountants is to receive a portion of the sales. Every kWh of power generated, and distributed throughout the utility territory, is sold to the utility company. A percentage of that transaction is given to the owners of these "grouped" accounts.

So, there is no installation on your campus, there is no fee or cost, why – or more accurately, how – does this rebate exist? Why would someone get paid for just continuing to use electricity? It is a discount for buying local.

These solar arrays will not get built without the support of electricity account owners; They depend on community support. Many hydro dams in the state also rely on offtake support to keep turbines spinning and keep power flowing to the grid.

Who can pledge their support? Right now, renewable generation between 1-5 MW is only eligible to be group net metered with political subdivision entities. That means towns, schools, public entities, etc.  Commercial accounts do not yet qualify for these benefits. Sufficient support for the proposed Senate Bill 106 would open this opportunity to C&I as well as municipal customers.

The group net metering program in New Hampshire is not new. But neither are local energy sources in New Hampshire. The first hydroelectricity production in the state dates to the 1920s and there are currently 24 plants over 1MW that connect to the electricity grid (EIA State Profile Analysis, 2024).

There is lots of discourse surrounding America's energy future. I wager that New Hampshire has a fascinating energy profile to lean on, and perhaps the same 'Buy Local' saying that has kept New Hampshire so near to its values can be applied to energy transactions.

Reference: 

https://www.eia.gov/state/analysis.php?sid=NH 

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