Valley Green Energy Working Group Meeting Aug 12, 2026

The Town of Amherst's Valley Green Energy Working Group held a meeting on August 12, 2026, focused on exploring community power and energy aggregation models. Henry Hearnden, Executive Director of the Community Power Coalition of New Hampshire, presented on the structure, governance, and operations of their joint powers agency, which manages wholesale energy procurement for 65 municipalities. The discussion covered the benefits of local control over energy purchasing, the development of renewable energy projects through power purchase agreements, and the financial and operational challenges of establishing such an agency. The group considered the feasibility of forming a similar joint powers agency for their three communities, including the need for a business plan, RFP development, and potential grant funding. They also discussed the scale required for effective energy aggregation and the importance of partnerships and expertise in managing wholesale energy portfolios. An action item was identified to invite Samuel Golding, an expert in joint powers agencies and energy markets, to a future meeting to provide guidance on RFPs and business planning.