City of Portsmouth, New Hampshire Portsmouth Community Power, 22 Jun 2022

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From YouTube: 6.22.2022 Portsmouth Community Power Working Group

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6.22.2022 Portsmouth Community Power Working Group

A

Did you, where was that north central notes, so I'm going down friday from my friend, oh, where.

A

Yeah I haven't.

B

Yeah yeah super interesting.

C

Are there any members attending via zoom.

D

Good question: that's my wife's birthday, so my kids are like running around now.

A

Trying to buy her presents, I'm like see like just to surprise that her birthday came up.

E

Once every 365 days on the same date, I don't see any and I didn't already find them daily.

A

I'll take care of it. Okay,.

F

Well, we can get started. I think 6 30.

F

There's a good show tonight in the park. If you haven't checked it out,.

F

We got the motion to become part of cpcnh and then we kind of kicked back for a while.

F

And some of us were a working group to follow through on our initiative, to raise our.

F

The profile of community power and put on the event june 29th becca.

F

And kevin and allison have helped with that. Stephanie's been a big help.

F

But the other thing that's been happening is that things are at cp and cnh are.

F

Starting to get real, and uh so we sent you a timeline that kevin developed.

F

um And we asked the question: what's a timeline, look like to get up and running.

F

F

A central purpose of our getting together here in the middle of summer or the start of summer was.

F

To look at that and get our arms around what the next step is to move all the way to.

F

An energy action plan that would be approved by the city council.

F

And so we wanted to rough out that work.

F

And I also wanted to go back to the council after we've talked about that.

F

And get get the green light, but get a vote to authorize to develop an energy action plan.

F

As you recall, we have a vote to join cpcnh. We had a vote to form this committee and then to.

F

Prove the idea of community power, but I think what we want: the authorization.

F

We want from the governing body is develop the plan and if the plan is approved, we go.

F

So that vote to approve the plan would be the plan. The vote to move ahead.

F

So we're still going to be in the second wave of cpc and h towns.

F

But it appears that second wave could be the fall or could even be a rolling kind of situation.

F

That all has to shake out over the months into the fall.

C

So I thought that uh cpcnh really needed to set up the rules first before anybody engaged, and so I.

C

Thought the fall was kind of early for the second group. I I thought that that was going to be like.

C

The first group, no, the first group- is going to be may of of 2023. Yes, almost a year, oh okay, okay,.

F

um And so when you're saying the fall fall next year, yeah follow next year, yeah, oh yeah! No! I was.

C

A little confused we'd all be running around like chickens. Okay, this fall of this year um and.

F

You know kevin will, will catch us up on what's going on with cpcnh, um but they really are putting.

F

You know bolting the organization together, so to speak with the contractors and the hiring of a ceo.

F

And their own internal timeline to get to may for the eight towns that will start in the first wave.

F

One of the.

F

One of the major.

F

Factors around an energy action plan is it's required by statute, so.

F

In the packet we gave you, we gave you the the statutory requirements for it.

F

And it has a number of elements in it that we have to complete it's probably about a 30 page.

F

Document and you can go online and see lebanon's or rise or any of the other towns.

F

But that that's that's our work for the fall and peter's going to help us with it.

F

Cpcnh actually has I just was in touch with lisa sweet today they have a lot of it. Templated.

F

And they've combined the elements of the eight existing ones, plus a number of others.

F

So there's there's some good templated language that we can pick up. Nonetheless, I think it's up.

F

To us to figure out how our community power plan fits in with the goals and strategies of.

F

Portsmouth as an eco municipality portsmouth as a.

F

City in the midst of redoing, its climate action plan.

F

All of those things, so that would be unique to us.

F

Questions on that.

B

Yeah counselor tear that's been something I've been thinking about a lot. The last couple of.

B

Weeks is the fact that we've said that we want to do a lot of community education.

B

And outreach, but we already have so that's very important to garner information for our energy.

B

Action plan or aggregate electricity action plan, um eap, we'll just shorten to that.

B

But then we already have a lot of existing materials sort of on the books. If you will.

B

Here in portsmouth, so how to sort of meld the two together.

F

Right, yeah and I think, there's probably a need for maybe some dialogue with sustainability group.

F

And and some dialogue with the community as much as we can.

F

And what I liked about kevin's timeline is about every third item. It says more community engagement.

F

Because that's we're going to need to build support for this.

F

You know when we get to a council vote.

F

Hopefully we have a high top of mind awareness about what it is we're doing. Why we're doing it.

F

So that we bring the community away.

F

So we did want to touch for 15 or 20 minutes on the event coming up on the 29th.

F

I'll give you here's what I know. uh As of yesterday, we had 50 signups how many 50.

F

That's good so, the week before it was 25, so we're pacing to get to about a hundred. You would see.

F

The op-ed column that some of you have seen will go in sunday's paper. The 25th.

F

And portsmouth, smart growth is putting flyers around town. They.

F

Have a email database of about 200 people that they've reached out to.

F

F

um Deb shag called and said.

F

Do you need flyers for city hall? I said I don't know if I can put flyers in cities.

D

Yeah um and the speakers are lined up- we're going to have uh the sequence will be cliff below will.

F

Introduce henry herndon henry will talk about what is community power? What's it mean to you, then.

F

Julia griffin from hanover will talk about. This was our journey as a as a town with.

F

Carbon neutral goals as a community.

F

And what they went through, trying to do portfolio management by themselves.

F

And what they learned and how she sees it all and and then some examples from around the country of.

F

The sort of rich menu of services that community power is doing in marin, county and other places.

F

Like that, and then sam evans brown from clean energy, new hampshire is going to finish off with.

F

What this means for the energy markets in general, in new hampshire and the regulatory aspect, and how.

F

You know he thinks it's going to be transformative for the state and then we'll have q a.

F

F

We've been thinking about as long as we've got all these people.

F

And we've educated them doing some online polling.

F

So we'll get to that in a minute, we've got guests coming from rye, durham and, of course,.

F

Julia from hanover and cliff from lebanon, so that's pretty good representation of towns.

F

We're going to take the speakers out to dinner beforehand.

F

uh Of course, my smart growth likes to do that.

F

Is even gonna put them up in a hotel with the ac la de.

F

um And uh um we may all go out for drinks afterwards, which will be fun with all those folks.

F

From all in different towns, everybody's welcome to join, I don't know what we'll probably go back.

F

To the ac up to the rooftop, or something like that, um I had a conflict that night.

D

Not for the drinks at the ac, though oh yeah should be done by that. Hopefully yeah conservation.

C

Commission uh joint planning coordinates oh well yeah. Unfortunately, the timing's pretty pretty in.

D

Sync, it's six: what is it 6 30 to set probably 6 30 to 7 30. yeah should be done by eight right right.

B

D

Yeah, probably um we've asked each of the speakers. What are questions you might like to get.

F

So I'll be circulating those around.

F

And I'm really hoping that's a good free-flowing discussion be interesting to see who comes out.

F

F

What the questions are.

F

So game on it looks like we're. Gonna have good attendance and.

F

It'll give us some momentum uh when we go to the council the next week.

F

Or ten days later, the op-ed should generate some traffic. I would think you know that a.

G

Lot of eyeballs will see right, see that and I'm going to push that out to the portsmouth groups.

F

Once it's published and you've been doing the newsletter yeah, I just saw it in there.

E

A couple weeks ago, anyway, so great well.

F

That'd, be great that'd, be great on those channels.

F

F

We uh learned about some online polling applications peter you may want to talk.

F

About that, I can talk about it briefly. At brian getz from the deputy public works director used.

D

A app called slido at the water forum- and I guess it went pretty well, he bought a subscription to it.

D

And he said well, there's a lot you can do with it. He bought a subscription which.

D

There's a lot more, you can do with it. If you don't have subscription, he said you can ask like three multiple choice, questions and then I think you're cut off and he said he's.

D

Available that night and willing to come and sort of administer that piece wonderful. um So if.

D

You wanted, I think you gotta, have the questions in advance. Obviously, and I think then you must either.

D

Put them up on the screen, or maybe people download the app. I don't know how how that part works.

H

You don't even download an app.

H

Okay, yeah so and it collects the data and yeah. So you must get a text from the app.

H

Yeah, if you remember, I don't I remember it being really simple, though signed.

E

Into slido and then there's there's a code, a passcode to get into this particular meeting.

E

And then once you're in then you have the questions on your phone, so you can answer them on.

I

And it could be multiple choice. He said the easiest is, if you do like a multiple.

D

Series of multiple choice questions, but I think you can format it. However, you want.

D

To you know, word cloud with open-ended questions. Yes, there's word cloud.

E

Although that can take a little longer, I think it obviously could do yes, no multiple choice.

E

Multiple choices, the most interesting to look at because you get bars and bar graphs.

G

But if you had three questions, just I mean just general right out of the.

G

Gate, if you ask folks, you know, are you interested in community power.

G

If so, are you interested in lower prices or green options and then maybe a question.

G

Would you be willing to pay slightly more, for you know a green option right. You know.

I

Something like that might be just general enough out of the gate. Having heard the.

G

You know whenever you're going to do this. There was some talk about doing it, maybe at different.

G

Points during the evening, but I'm sure you guys you know, have lots of questions. We could ask.

G

That are great, I'm just thinking something is as general as that might might kind of be helpful.

H

One thing we probably want to prepare because there's there's a fair amount in the news right.

H

Now about rates doubling- and you know, people are paying through the nose like the level of.

H

Get questions like how so this you know if we, if we do this, we won't ever have to worry about.

F

um I think the formulation henry and I went back and forth because.

F

We talked about this when I was writing the op-ed and.

F

He had his take on it and I asked our speakers to all be prepared for that question. Yeah.

F

F

This shows community power structural advantage because the utility can only go in to the power.

F

Markets twice a year and at fixed dates, and it just so happens the fixed date right now times.

F

With the biggest biggest increase in energy prices that we've had in years, whereas community power.

F

Doesn't have that regulatory requirement and therefore can buy.

F

A portfolio of short and long term contracts and even spot market contracts so that.

F

You wouldn't be forced to buy in a spike like this right, and so that's the long.

F

Answer but the safe answer, yeah I mean you would never I we would never say. I think that.

G

We would avoid such spikes, but you might, it might not be as.

G

You know steep, you know, I think you could kind of soften it a bit more, but I think in this.

G

Market that we're in right now, regardless of whether you know it's the portfolio model, that.

G

The coalition is going to be using new hampshire, electric cooperative uses, the portfolio model and.

G

I think that's one of the you know they've seen prices that are a little smoother than the than.

G

The distribution companies just because of that reason- and I mean the distribution companies- are.

G

Required to do that by regulation, which I don't know why that doesn't change, but um it really.

I

It really that's the case in all three new england states that I'm familiar with massachusetts.

G

Connecticut new hampshire, the utilities have a window that they have to go out and purchase and.

G

Deliver it to the puc for approval right and the other thing that uh henry would tell you is that.

F

That community power using a portfolio approach, whoever they contract to do that.

F

Is always going to be forward? Forecasting is always going to be looking at the trends.

F

And hopefully, anticipating you know something like this gas shortage, which is not new in a.

F

Lot of ways it has to do with lack of pipelines, and things like that.

C

I wonder if there's any demographic information that we can get on the people that attend the.

C

Meeting either through zoom or in person, you know I mean I'd just be interested.

C

My concern is that there are going to be people that are interested in this, for.

C

Climate reasons and then there can be other people that are very resistant to any kind of change.

C

And I just wonder: if we're going to be able to reach the people that are.

C

You know not really interested thinking. Oh yeah, here's another new thing that I gotta worry about.

G

I think even the residents who perhaps aren't as.

G

Strongly behind green options are residents in the city that are interested in managing their budget.

G

You know if the coalition can produce a even a comparable default rate. That is a little bit.

G

Better than the utility default rate- and I think it's still beneficial- we may have.

G

Different coalitions some people are coming at the coalition saying I want more green.

G

Some may be coming at it, particularly with what they're, seeing in the news right now around price.

G

Thinking that the coalition may kind of dampen the prices increases a little bit and I think.

G

That's all good, too. You know I'm sure that we can dampen the prices. I don't think you'd ever make.

G

That promise, but I think the coalition's model would, I think they would say. Logically it does.

G

Because they're able to go out and buy you know short long term and have a more of a.

G

Portfolio of of supply within the aggregate that it should over time.

G

Kind of iron out the the peaks and the valleys, because utility can go out and I've seen the.

G

Exact opposite happen where they they happen to go out at that six-month period, where the.

G

Markets are extremely low and they lock in for six months and then the competitive suppliers.

G

Over the next six months are providing rates that are higher and you, then you have this migration.

G

Back to default service, so it's all in the timing right now. I think the distribution companies are.

G

Hitting it at a at a period, that's difficult, but um but I think if we have people that are.

G

Interested in the coalition, even for different reasons, some might be, for you know a little bit.

G

More price, stability and others, hopefully are in it coming at it from a renewable standpoint, but.

G

I think it's all positive yeah, and so how easy is it going to be for people to.

C

Do what you were just suggesting is that you know I'm with the coalition now, but if their.

C

Prices go up and the default rate for someone else goes down. Then I'm going to jump out of.

C

This and go to the default yeah by rules. It's fairly easy. You just have to do it on your.

G

They time it on your meter reading cycle and you you can swap swap back that had a couple times.

H

And the default rate was lower, but yeah like I was on a contract and then when.

H

The contract was up, I went back to default and now I'm on 100 renewable.

G

It's I think, new hampshire right now. I think it's around 11 or 12 cents.

G

Because it's going up from like 12 to 22., oh right, so yeah.

I

F

Well, it'll be interesting to see if the group that we have next wednesday.

F

Are as savvy as you are well, that might be a question. Are you currently.

H

You know because they're there they kind of we're going to get the most aware right, most likely.

D

You would think so one, I guess, because we have somebody out of town. You may have.

F

I did pull out allison's questions that she had for the mini survey that we were going to do.

F

And I also grabbed a question from what the standard power showed us in.

F

Which is one I really like peter you've got a copy of it.

F

So the first one is, you know, is eversource the company that.

F

Gives you your electricity or yes or no, and then this is a multiple choice. One.

F

Which of the following options for community power would interest you.

F

Choice for options, electricity options, control of electricity costs, competitive rates.

F

Increased renewable energy, increased knowledge regarding electricity to.

F

Supply help to increase energy efficiency, so those were that was what allison developed for us.

F

And then the one from keen was: are you interested in adding extra renewable.

F

Energy in our electricity supply and then these four multiple choices, no.

F

I would like more renewable energy if I can pay about what I paid a day.

F

And that one spiked really high in keem and they almost have they had like 72 percent, say yes,.

F

To that that's kind of a given right, yeah, that's like apple! That's the ideal, yeah yeah, not too hot.

F

Of course, but perfect um I'd like more renewable energy and I'm willing to pay a little more than.

F

I pay today I'd like the option of 100 renewable energy like tom, rooney, and willing to pay more.

F

And I I like the clarity of that question. I, like the I like. Actually both you know, asking.

B

The question first, like uh kind of what's most important to you, sort of the disability or control.

B

The competitive rate or increase your verbal issues, then you get that display and then you.

B

Ask the sort of follow-up question? Okay, if you really do want renewable energy mixed in.

F

And I think that would give us very useful information when we sit down to start looking.

F

At our eip I mean it's a small sample and if you started off with just a general question based on.

G

You know what you're hearing here tonight you know. Are you.

G

Are you interested in community power? You know something like that and then kind of flow into.

G

Yep I, like both of these questions,.

G

And I would suspect the answer to that. What I just said, you know hopefully is going to be.

G

The majority are going to say yeah, but I think we it'd be nice to confirm that.

G

That, based upon what they're hearing sample size of you, know, 95 people in the room that.

G

You know 70 percent, say yeah, so it just it it's resonating with with folks. You know.

F

Do we want to ask, are you on a default supply now.

G

I don't know if, because we'll get that information in another way, that's right so will that data will.

G

Be available to us if we wanted to ask it: that's fine! Just for the people in the room. I actually.

C

Curious to see if people knew yeah yeah yeah do you know who your energy supply is now.

H

I wonder uh city-wide what the percentage is. Eventually, we would be able to get that yeah.

I

We'll have that yeah. I don't know how many years I think it was when this was first offered and.

C

We kept getting all the information in the mail from all these different companies. We've been with.

C

North american power, for I don't know how many and whenever that started, and we went 100 in renewable.

C

Because that was an option with them yeah and so that's been. I don't know five years anyway,.

G

I mean it might be an interesting data point for the room just to say how many are with.

G

Eversource versus a you know, competitive supplier. You feel like one of the multiple.

B

Choice, questions would be, you know ever source to follow, or I didn't.

G

There's I bet a fair number of residents that just don't.

G

Even don't know, it's never been on their radar.

G

I think it's, I think it's less than 20 percent you and your opinion piece you're saying you.

G

Know maybe 80. I've seen 80 percent. I think it. I think it's even lower 80. On the phone I mean less.

G

Than 20 are on competitive supply because there's just fewer choices in new hampshire, new hampshire.

H

Doesn't have a lot of some friends thinking that plenty of them would have been like? Oh yeah,.

H

No, I didn't know is that an option, or they heard about it.

F

Was the point of my output.

G

Well, historically, it's been higher other than if you're interested in.

G

Renewable power for for that purpose, but if you were just trying to get it.

G

A comparable default rate you know similar portfolio makeup over the past 10 years. The vast.

G

Majority of the time the distribution companies have been cheaper, so you know it's just the.

I

Market has never really developed in new hampshire there's, not a whole lot of competitive suppliers.

G

So it's not surprising that the majority of.

G

Presidents are still on default if they're, just looking at it purely from a price standpoint, yeah.

J

Well, I think it would be helpful to your speakers to ask that question up front, so they meet the.

E

Room audiences about the topic.

F

Yeah, I think if we intersperse the questions you know now we'll do a real-time poll.

F

um I hadn't thought that far yet.

F

Right, I think you know alison's number two here is a natural after the speakers, because they didn't.

F

Absorb a lot they're asking: what do you think what's most important to you out of all this.

J

F

Then we'll that'll come up instantaneously and there'll be some reaction in response to that.

F

More q a and then maybe there's one more question.

E

That kind of feels right to me: yeah. We don't have too many questions because then it side tracks.

E

The audience attention around their forgetting.

E

Yeah, maybe cap it at three.

F

That's what we got yeah because then we're gonna have an open q, a right at the in the last portion.

G

Yeah yeah, but how much time counselor are we devoting to that? The q a yeah? Well, let's.

F

See we've got. I asked the speakers to do 10 minutes each so that gets us to 7 45, probably.

G

And the event goes to nine nine.

G

So between that and if each of these questions takes.

G

Five minutes to administer right. So that's another 15 minutes.

C

I know when I've seen these polls participated in them online and.

C

Things- it's not taken here that time, yeah yeah I'd, say a minute. I mean they go in and they.

C

Hit the question you give supply your answer and then it tallies up and but if we show it.

G

On the screen and then just open it up, what do what do you folks think about that? You know what.

G

Does that okay, more than more open-ended question, rather than just answering the question? Well, they.

G

Answer the question: they see the results and you know maybe we give them an opportunity. You know.

G

The audience, if they, if they want to comment on it, is that does that sound right to you or is that.

G

You know you know, does that surprise, you does it surprise you and then and then move on.

J

Great but we were thinking of interspersing, those with among the q and a session like.

G

We're doing a little bit of q a like live q, a and then we we do a.

G

Poll question and a little more q a and then a poll question. Is that what you're thinking.

G

Oh, maybe start off with a poll question right after the speaker's finish well, I.

F

Think everybody's there's people who always are on the edge of their seat with a question.

F

Right so we've got to get those first questions out.

C

Well, I thought we were talking about potentially asking the first question right off. The bat did.

C

You know that your utility company could be your default supplier, but not necessarily if there are.

C

Other choices, just you know something like that up front like you were saying stephanie about, so that.

C

The speakers can get a reading for the room yeah. I could do that uh at the very start of yeah at the.

F

Opening that would create some engagement right out of the game. Yeah create some just right now.

B

And we're going to see if it works first resident.

G

And then maybe after they, the speakers finish, do another one right and then maybe halfway through.

G

The live q, a we do the third one right, something like that yeah are we going to make the.

C

The taping of this available generally, it's, I hope we can put it on the city website or something.

F

That's uh the portsmouth smart growth side of the.

F

House and they're going to record it. They just come on zoom and archive it on their website.

F

Okay and it's going to be live stream, so we could have a lot more attendance.

D

Live stream that are youtube or on theirs, theirs: okay, it's just a url and we don't have it as a.

D

Meeting on our website is that because it's not a city board meeting, it should be okay, yeah. I think.

D

So if we can, I think I don't know what the policy, how the policy with it being in the newsletter.

E

It's a committee of the city, I think yeah.

F

Right, it gets us into interesting territory a little gray, but not the link to register right.

E

J

D

And is there, is there an agenda? That'll go with that.

D

Do we have an agenda for the event? Did I see it somewhere or not? No, not really. We just have.

C

The speakers I mean, I don't think we have to have a published an agenda for the meeting.

C

No, that's that's what I was looking for actually to see. If we, I don't.

D

Couldn't remember one, but no, we haven't okay, not necessarily I'm just curious. I mean we usually.

D

Post it when we put a meeting up so that's why I thought of it and I'm thinking that I can take.

E

The blurb that's in the newsletter as a description of the event.

D

Yep so at least you know who the speakers are. I've heard many people impressed that with.

F

He seems to be a crowd pleaser. You know the agenda is basically just.

G

The speakers in a q a yeah, so there's no need really for an agenda. It's not.

D

Like it's not that kind of meeting that needs an agenda, it's more of an event.

B

Yeah yeah, I think you already have what you need for the for the posting.

D

um But the order of the speakers would be henry julia and sam. I think, on our flyer, it's different.

C

I think making the public aware that there's going to be time for questions is important.

C

Q, a session is cliff, not speaking, he's just introducing right.

F

That's very helpful to walk through it like that. I can start to see how it's going to shake out.

F

Are the thoughts on that? So the three questions just have to kind of get documented right and then.

G

Your gentleman, then so uh brian goetz, do you want me to? uh I think the best way to do is just have.

D

You two guys talk sure and set it up in advance, so you it's ready to go, you could maybe you.

D

Can test it? I don't know how that site works but probably yeah. I could schedule some time with him.

F

Tuesday, yeah I'll try to remember to send an email tomorrow, just to follow up with him and I'll copy.

D

You and you guys, can set up a time, I'm at city hall, tuesday morning for governance committee, so.

F

I can meet with him. Where is his office here or is it over it's a dpw but he's here for.

E

Core tuesday morning from what's that at nine nine to ten the governance committee's at ten.

D

Is he at the governance committee meeting, probably not yeah so 8, 30 or.

D

Something like that might work or you could do it after the governance committee meeting after the.

F

Governance, yeah- that's probably good; okay, because I'm flying in from the west coast, oh okay, yeah.

D

I'll just tell them all this time that you guys can to have you guys set it up, but probably.

D

Probably sometime after the governance committee on tuesday morning and I'll.

F

Give them a draft and email it. Okay, yep. I think I think these are good. Allison's work stands up.

F

You knew we were going to get. Those sometimes was hoping.

F

um Turning back to the uh the timeline, maybe kevin, you want to just update us yeah, I think it might.

G

Be helpful counselor if I just spend a few minutes on where cp cpcnh is right now right, because that.

G

Helps with the schedule, understanding yeah, so I just have uh this is- was in the packet, but if.

G

Anybody wants a hard copy, I'll just go through it fast. I think the group that's here tonight.

G

I think is the same group that was together when we were talking about communications, so.

G

I'll just do a quick um kind of true up as to where cpcnh is, and they have a lot going on.

G

um So, just just real fast, um I mean the board they're they're, meeting monthly and they're going.

G

To be meeting more frequently here as through the summer time, because there's just a lot going on.

G

As counselors said, wave one cities and towns are scheduled for right now for april and may.

G

Of next year, but they do put the caveat in depending on market conditions, um there's.

G

Approximately eight to ten, I think, there's still a few communities that are a little bit on the fence.

G

And the the one thing that is uh kind of a recent development is their schedule, which is pretty.

G

Packed between now and that go live for. You think it sounds like a long time from now, but there's.

G

Some really kind of long activities in that that are all on the critical path and the one that has.

G

Slipped a little bit is the puc approving the rules. The rules were supposed to be initially.

G

Adopted in june and finalized in july now they're going to be finalized. uh They don't.

G

Think until september 1st, so that has kind of uh sliced a couple months off of the.

G

Off of the schedule, they're still optimistic, there's sufficient time, but that was.

G

You know that that increased the the sweat factor a little bit.

G

um So the next section are the puc rules and that's the one thing that is an example of what.

G

Happens once the puc approves the rules, all those eight to ten communities that are in wave one.

G

Have to resubmit their energy aggregation plans, because the plans that they've already submitted.

G

To the puc were rejected because rules weren't adopted yet so that was kind of just a formality.

G

But now the rule, the the plans have to be updated with some content changes based upon.

G

What they expect to be in the rules, so all those communities have to resubmit, they have to get it.

G

Approved by their governing body and their town, their council or town, and then resubmit it to the.

G

Puc and the puc has 60 days to um to to turn that around. So this is the step that we have, because we.

C

Haven't submitted it right yeah, but that so that 60 days moves out and then so there's we get to.

F

Only do it once yeah and our plan. We should know exactly precisely what needs to be in.

G

The plan when we go to submit it because eight or ten of them will have already been approved.

G

The real big thing that's going on right now are the requests for proposals. They went out to bid.

G

For really the whole operation of cpcnh, you know because the operationally the.

G

Finance communications engagement is all being outsourced, power, procurement, everything.

G

And that request for proposal went out in april and the bids just came back in on the 15th.

G

Of june on schedule, and they have 12 12 firms submitted proposals. Some are for many portions.

G

Of the scope, some are just for focused areas and we're reviewing those. Now, I'm on that particular.

G

Committee and we're getting together on the 29th, which is the day of our uh our event, right.

G

But it's during the day to shortlist down to a small number and then interviews are going to.

G

Start shortly thereafter and they're looking to award these contracts by the end of august.

G

And have the vendors on board in september and and those are the.

G

You know the organizations that are really going to you know form this. You know cpcnh.

G

There's some several key documents that they all have to work through in the fall.

G

The cost sharing agreement, energy risk management pro all these.

G

The vendors are going to assist with the development of those key policies and then.

G

Those policies then need to get back come back before all the member communities for approval.

G

By their councils etc- and that's that's a lot of activity happening in the in the uh in the fall.

G

Time frame, there's a search committee in place right now for a ceo, and um I think it's likely.

G

That the ceo will be perhaps at around the time or after go, live in terms of having he or she.

G

On board, I think it's unlikely for it to be sooner, but that could happen, but they've developed a.

G

Position profile their kind of benchmark compensation, particularly around the california.

G

Community aggregation groups, marin and others and likely going to hire a search committee.

G

And funding is an issue, you know, the cpcnh is, is, you know, isn't flush with cash and um and so.

G

That is, is ongoing and then there's positions that report to the ceo um over the different.

G

Parts of the operation that will be kind of in wave two to um to stand up the the organization.

G

The procurement process is obviously huge for for wave one. The key thing is, they want to know.

G

The price to beat from the from the utilities so they'll know that in like the november time frame.

G

When the distribution companies are resetting, their rates for.

G

February to july of next year, and so cpcnh wants to know the price that they need to be when they.

G

Go out to procurement because they have really set kind of a red line that they would not go, live.

G

In next april or may, unless they have a comparable default rate, not that not the the green options.

G

But the default rate needs to be um needs to be the distribution default rate, and so once.

G

They know that then the procurement process plays out in december and in january and.

G

And then we're uh you know uh likely in wave two and one of the things they're.

G

Talking about now, because they had said that wave two would definitely be.

G

October november there's some discussion that there could be some.

G

Rolling implementation based on market conditions next year, if it was if it was um uh beneficial to.

G

Communities to implement sooner and perhaps in you know, uh in a rolling fashion, so it kind of.

G

Goes back to it's advantageous for us to get our energy action plan aggregation plan complete it.

G

Pretty much on schedule and get it through the council process file it and be ready to go so.

G

If we have an earlier opportunity to implement, we were able to do that so yeah. That's the only.

C

Thing that really concerns me is that next year, we'll be looking at a new council no not next year.

F

Not till november, it's a two-year concert. Okay during the first six months of our two-year term.

F

He's scaring me out to do another election. Well, that's what scares me. I thought it was in two.

I

Years but I thought it wasn't last year that we elected this council if it was november 23.

D

They don't start in general january right, but the only thing that I get concerned about is everybody.

C

On council would get caught up in election issues and it would be distracting.

C

You know and that's why you're suggesting the fact that there might be rolling well.

C

Maybe getting in a little bit sooner than late fall would be a good idea.

G

Yeah, if we it bounced the schedule, I put together off of henry and samuel, and they.

G

Strongly support a schedule- that's close to this, um to be ready next year, because they're still.

G

Then timing, because even when we do file that 60 days, the puc, even though, if our eap is beautiful,.

G

They they still may wait 60 days and then the utility has 30 days to give us the detailed data.

G

We need so that's a 90-day window right there um so and then there's all sorts of notification. You.

G

Have to give so it's really in our best interest to have our eap and that's what the plan I.

G

Suggested through the council, probably no later than you know, right after the first of the year.

G

And that's and kind of the principles of putting the schedule together was one.

G

Make steady progress from now until the end of the year and putting our energy action plan together.

G

To have like regular engagement with our community in all different ways, different channels and then.

G

I think one of the beauties that we have here is we can sit back and watch the roll out of wave one.

G

And and monitor it monitor the development of those key policies monitored to these vendors. That.

G

They're, bringing on board are they? Is it working out, monitor the procurement process? You know and.

G

Then the rollout and then customer satisfaction with the rollout all of those things we're in a.

G

Great spot to sit back while we're putting our plan together to be a kind of a fast follower.

G

Here to make sure it's in good shape and it's it's it's it's working and and then make a an educated.

G

Decision with the council, um you know early next year to to move forward, so I think we're in a.

G

Really great spot to do that, to make you know to be in a position and then be able to. You know, move.

G

Along quickly in 2023, whether it's on a rolling basis or in the fall so and I think allison that.

F

The cure for getting caught up in the political cycle in the fall of.

F

2003 would be if we vote in the first quarter. um That's a policy decision. That's our problem! Well,.

J

That's what I that's, what I'm hoping yeah then we're going ahead with it right, yep.

F

And, as bob sullivan says, policy moves in the direction it was voted until it's voted.

F

A different way, so they have to undo it, and a key point, too, is approving the energy aggregation plan.

G

And giving you the green light to file this with the puc is still not approving going.

G

Live with you know the procurement we still can tap the brakes during 2023. If there's fallout.

G

From wave one I mean they are proving, though, that this plan that the committee put together.

G

Is solid? We approve that plan. We approve sending it off to the puc for approval, but it's still the.

G

Portsmouth's ultimate decision right next year, whether to go ahead. There's no, you know forced.

G

Implementation here is there another vote required, though. If everything went smoothly, could it just.

H

Be there's other key, um there's other key things. They need to approve those key documents. The cost.

G

Sharing agreement, the risk management policy, those are all like subsequent approvals. They.

G

Have to then prove the rates like you know. If they, if we say we want to move forward and and go out.

G

For procurement, they have to approve the rate structure, so there's other key things that get.

G

That the council gets involved with. I don't know that could be administrative. That's what I was.

F

Thinking, I think it at some point. You have to give the city manager power to make decisions.

D

On things but like it depends you don't have to, but you could and then it would make it easier.

D

Yeah yeah be interesting to see how the other towns are handling it yeah. My I would imagine that.

F

Those that are cities with a city manager form of government would say we approve the eap.

F

That's the direction we're going. We empower the city manager to follow through. Yes,.

G

Yeah and for whatever reason, if there's a stumble with wave one yeah, I could very easily see you.

G

Could come back to the council and say we're going to tap the brakes? Yeah karen could come back and.

F

Say you know we're going to pause this because, and the other thing too is the energy aggregation.

G

Plan is largely kind of agnostic, whether I mean there's a lot of references to cpcnh in there.

G

But if, if, if for whatever reason the city wanted to go with the broker model, it wouldn't be throw.

G

Away work putting the energy aggregation plan together, it would have to be kind of wordsmith.

G

But the plan would still like 80 percent, be an aggregation plan if, if for whatever reason, we said.

G

All right, they're, you know, there's even I think in our short term, we want to go with the broker model.

G

I don't see that happening, but that's right, it wouldn't be throwaway work, yeah and I think that's.

F

The beauty of the legislation is it: it envisions each town doing their own aggregation plan.

F

And the aggregation plan is a framework you know into which you can plug vendors.

G

Yeah, if you looked at keene's, eap versus lebanon's eap, I'm sure 80 percent is pretty much similar.

G

But then there's just a lot of language about the broker model versus the cpcnh.

G

Model this is this is excellent. Thank you, yeah. Thank you. It's just you know just.

G

Trying to keep us on a on a steady, steady, cadence here um and I'm just wondering.

C

What all these community engagements are going to be yeah? That's a good reminder.

G

It could be a web update, it could be a you know at a community event,.

G

All sorts of things, but just just trying to have a steady, drum, beat of stuff.

G

I envision after our session on the 29th, perhaps updating the faqs based on what we.

G

Hear coming out of that meeting, you know, take the top half a dozen questions and that aren't.

G

Already referenced addressed in the website- and you know we do a little bit of an update.

B

From the events.

F

And I can, you know, put quarterly updates under my name.

F

Council meetings, I would only talk for a couple of minutes, but I could put a document in the packet.

G

Yeah give you a slide or two, and on the back of this plan I mean it's. If you're interested in kind.

G

Of the the series of events actually, when we're close to going live in those 60 days before or so.

G

That's kind of the cadence of stuff that happens. um You know if, during that, during that time frame.

G

And counselor said at the beginning and it's true so we're not. It doesn't sound daunting.

G

The the draft eap that's available, coupled with the aps from the other communities, is.

G

85 90 of what we need to do so we're not starting with white paper here, we're we're.

G

We're going to go in and in many areas right, portsmouth, where it needs to be written, but.

G

And then even the goal section you know the sustainability committee in the city and.

G

I'm sure there's lots of great information we want to fold in, but there. If you look.

G

At the goal section of the other communities, there's it's like two pages and um and they're.

G

Worded differently, you can see where it's tailored to stuff in a particular town, but there's there's.

G

A lot of great objectives and goal information that are in the eaps from the other communities.

G

That we can use as a starting point right and then even make it better yeah and the goals.

F

Differ by community absolutely yeah. It's it's interesting to look at them said this.

B

Various committees that have interest or have had hands on our renewable energy policy importance.

B

With the city, um could you just sort of focus through like a listening session, an.

B

Input session just on those goals, you know that page or two just to give it some absolutely.

F

I think I think we should, and I think we should tie those goals back to.

F

The sustainability committee, the eco municipality, the energy policy, all of those- and it would be a.

D

Nice outreach piece, I mean it could be the under the policy or the plan. The aggregation plan could.

D

Be a just a summary as a and that's what people are going to take away from it. What does this do.

D

How does it work? What does it say? You know a short summary of it would be another outreach piece if I.

G

Was on those other committees? I'd have more buy-in to this. If I felt yeah at least had some input.

G

Into yeah the content and maybe how it was word or something that was missing, you know yeah yeah,.

J

Yeah yeah, so we gotta do that um peter. I you had something you were gonna say tonight.

F

No, I was just thinking about it. You know we were talking about how there's.

D

That you can always go to a broker. You can there's really no risk at any point in the.

D

Process with the whole thing you know, you can always stay with your aggregate. You can.

D

Always stay with your default or go with your own broker as a resident. You know so.

D

This is just another option, right, that's being you know brought to you by the city through the.

D

Coalition, which is a message I think people need to hear if they want to object to it.

D

There's no reason to object to it. You don't have to join it. If you don't want to join it.

D

I guess that's what I was thinking. No risk, no risk yeah, that's important in our messaging.

G

There's less risk actually because you're you're providing options that have been vetted.

G

By the community opposed to today, if you know mr rooney hears out you're all by.

G

Yourself going out to look at competitive suppliers and practices: oh yeah, yeah.

H

And so you're you're you're, making those decisions kind of yourself.

J

Thinking that it looks reputable right right in this case, you have cpcnh and the member.

G

Communities vetting these supply choices and should give residents some comfort, yeah.

F

um And that holds stabilization thing. You do so many things in the budget. Water rate sewer rates.

E

Health insurance, all of that flattening the curve that those who are listening have heard this.

E

Before and they get that it's good management, good financial management, yeah, one of the impressive.

F

Things about cpcnh is, if you look at their business plan, they're looking at building up a 30.

F

40 million dollar reserve for rate shocks and that's within the first five years think.

F

Stabilization, how long's that take? They have no idea, I'm sure, but I'm curious.

D

That's their model, yeah, it's a good goal and they have 20 communities now, but they're they're in.

G

Conversations with lots of other cities and towns- I know they're in conversations with manchester.

G

Which would be a big, you know: load yeah, that's probably half the load in the state. Yeah.

G

So um stadiums yeah see, um so I would propose to us that we meet once a month and in july.

F

Assuming we get the vote.

F

We get to work on.

F

The first part of this timeline, which would be discussion of our goals,.

F

And discussion of how we want input into our goals.

F

And uh you know, I think, everything that.

F

Kevin has put together in this timeline.

F

Is the logical alignment with cpcnh that would we would need to to get to community power so.

F

F

More discussion we want to have on that- let's, let's do that, but it might be helpful to have.

F

A vote from this committee to recommend that we ask the council to authorize us to draft an ep.

F

And I like the idea of I, like our sequence of.

F

We'll have a good audience to try this all out on, uh hopefully get some live polling.

F

Then, when we sit down in july to look at goal setting, we may have a little bit of a feel from us.

F

I'll be a small small sample, but we'll have some good discussion and we will have test.

F

Driven it with the public a little and then we can, you know july may be also a good chance to.

F

Talk about how what are some of our public engagement channels.

F

And how we do that on a regular basis, and I can grab from all of the eaps that have been drafted.

G

From I think, there's eight or ten of them I'll go in I'll just grab those couple pages out of.

G

The objectives and goal sections and I'll just kind of scan them into one document.

J

And and get them to our entire group here, maybe as a little homework before assuming you you're good.

G

You get good uh feedback from the council. It'd probably be good for us to kind of review. Those.

G

And see which ones resonate with us and which ones based on you, maybe others that have been involved.

G

With other committees here in the town, what might be missing so you know, if you don't mind,.

G

That's going to do that. No, I think that's great because and I'm glad we're talking about that yeah.

F

So that we're not doing that by email and yeah, let's get that as a to do and it's interesting.

F

Reading to look at the other towns, yeah and you'll see the process that they've gone through.

H

Did you want to try to schedule that tonight sure do you? Do you want to go for a regular meeting.

D

Date and then we can just try to hold the room, because- or this room in particular is a little.

D

High high we've been pretty lucky with this, I think it. This is the fourth wednesday, if that.

D

Date works for everybody or another wednesday, but this that wednesday seems to have been. We.

F

Did have a good conflict with the sustainability group on wednesday? Is that so there's I? I have a.

C

Seven o'clock meeting on wednesday nights for portsmouth climate solutions.

C

Is that every wednesday it's every wednesday, oh yeah? So that's why I was saying that if it.

C

Could be a different night like a thursday night, but if it can't be, then that's fine on this.

C

One well, the fourth, thursday sustainability. The third thursday is planning board the.

D

Second, thursday is a possibility, I guess, but this wednesday has worked pretty well and yeah.

C

Well, that's fine! I appreciate the 6 30 time at any rate, so that's that's better than seven o'clock.

F

Fourth thursday, what happens sustainability committee? Okay,.

D

Second, thursday, yeah, okay, 14. right yeah, I mean it'd, be nice to get it on.

D

A regular and then we can schedule it out for the year, but we'll just.

D

You know see how it let's see, so that would be what's the second 14th of july, the 11th of.

E

F

Okay, second thursday of the month.

A

Going once the 14th sounds good twice, I'm I'm kind of tentative on the 14th. I think I don't know. I.

G

Have to check okay check with my better half yeah, there's just summers. Yeah summer is summer. I mean.

F

I'm away in august, but I I'm only two hours away. I can sit back.

C

There's always zoom yeah, there's always yeah. It's easy to post the zoom 14.

F

Okay, yeah, I think we're ramping them um before you, so so we'll schedule for the 14th for next month.

D

And shoot for the second thursday right could I? uh Why would I would entertain a motion to.

F

Ask the council to authorize us to develop an energy aggregation plan I'll make a motion.

C

Let me recommend the council that they authorize us to create an energy.

C

Plan, okay, I'll second, that, okay, all in favor aye votes, yes opposed. Okay,.

I

That's all we gotta do.

F

Oh okay, that many conflicts.

B

B

Thanks everybody.

A

I know I'm just about to see progress and he's he's they're tapping him at cpcnh for lots of.

F

Committee work: it's way too shaky, it's just a switch they're at the creation, but I absolutely.