Energy Committee

 

Committee Members 

Jamie Hess, Chair	2026
Tim Paradis, Vice Chair	2028
Peter Vedova, Treasurer	2028
Lisa Hess	2026
Viggo Fish	2026
Robin Rainie-Lobacz	2027
David Paradis	2027
Meredith Smith, Alternate	2028
John Ellis, Alternate	2027

 

 Here are some of our accomplishments: 

First Steps

The Energy Committee’s initial mission was to save energy through conservation and efficiency. Our first project was converting our town’s streetlights from incandescent bulbs to LEDs. At a total project cost of $10,000, it produced $8,000 in annual savings on our municipal electric bills. Next, we spearheaded an effort to upgrade our municipal buildings from fluorescent lights to LEDs. We upgraded the Tracy Library, the Town Office Building, the Fire Station, the Police Department, the Recreation Department, and the large Public Works Garage. These upgrades have also reduced our electricity use. Equally important, LED bulbs last 10 times as long as fluorescents, reducing maintenance costs, especially in high-ceilinged buildings.

 

The Energy Committee also co-sponsored Weatherize and Solarize campaigns along with Energy Committees in our neighboring towns. The Weatherize initiative educated homeowners, landlords, and tenants on how to take advantage of generous rebates on insulation and air-sealing work to make their homes more energy-efficient. These rebates vary from year to year, but they can add up to $8,000 per homeowner, and they are still in effect. Generous to say the least, as rebate recipients will also save on their home heating bills. Meanwhile, the Solarize initiative encouraged homeowners to install rooftop and backyard solar panels while the 30% federal incentive was still available for residential installations.

Municipal Solar Arrays

At our 2018 Town Meeting, New London voters adopted a goal of achieving 100% renewable electricity for all of our municipal buildings by the year 2030. Two years later, in 2020, we made our first move toward achieving that goal: Our first two municipal solar arrays came online, consisting of 428 solar panels behind the Sewer Department on Frothingham Road, and 210 more panels on the roof of the Public Works garage on South Pleasant Street.

The Sewer Department and Public Works arrays were originally expected to be a ‘break-even’ project financially. Outside investors took ownership of the arrays, so they required no financial outlay by the Town, but they did not produce any revenue for the Town. However, as electric rates have continued to rise, these solar arrays have actually become profitable. In 2025, the revenue we received from Eversource for electricity exported to the grid exceeded the payments we made to the investors for that same electricity.

In 2025, we took another step toward 100% renewable electricity by installing 51 solar panels on the roof of our Fire Station on Main Street. This new array, the first owned outright by the Town, began producing power in November 2025. It is not only expected to supply most of the Fire Station’s electrical needs; it will also produce Renewable Energy Certificates, which will be sold on the open market to generate additional revenue for the Town.

The combined output of these solar arrays has exceeded one million kilowatt-hours in their first five years. The solar panels will continue to produce electricity for the next 25, 50 or even 100 years.

Keeping our 100% renewable goal in sight, we hope to move forward in the coming years with additional solar arrays at the Stump Dump and at the closed landfill on Mountain Road. Because generous federal rebates remain available to municipalities, solar will continue to be an attractive investment for New London. We expect the Town to qualify for a 30% federal rebate on the Fire Station project, which will help finance the Stump Dump array – and that array in turn will qualify for its own 30% rebate that can be applied toward the Mountain Road project.

The Energy Committee serves in an advisory capacity on the use of the Energy Conservation Capital Reserve Fund, which is intended to finance energy-saving projects and municipal solar arrays. This fund was established by a Town Meeting vote in 2019. The Capital Reserve can provide seed money to move forward with projects that will produce financial savings to the Town. A Sustainability Bond can provide the remaining funding for new solar arrays; the revenue from electricity sales and Renewable Energy Certificates will be sufficient to cover the bond's principal and interest payments.

Community Power & Poverty Plains Solar

 

Since 2023, New London has been a member of the Community Power Coalition of New Hampshire (CPCNH), a statewide nonprofit. In 2025, CPCNH embarked on an ambitious plan to incentivize the construction of large-scale solar arrays across the state. The first of these projects, a five-megawatt array comprised of 12,000 solar panels, was recently completed on Poverty Plains Road in Warner, between I-89 exits 7 and 8. It is expected to begin operation in the spring of 2026. The Town of New London has joined with ten other New Hampshire cities and towns to form a Net Metering Group, which will earn our Town a share of the financial benefits of the Poverty Plains array for the next 10 to 15 years. Revenue is expected to start at about $5,000 per year and ramp up from there.

Education & Outreach

Education is the key to widespread adoption of energy conservation and renewable technologies such as solar. To get the word out about tax credits, rebates, and other incentives for homeowners, we organize in-person events such as the Electric Vehicle Expo and electric bicycle loans, as well as the Weatherize and Solarize initiatives. We also maintain a Facebook page at facebook.com/NLECNH. A recent Facebook post highlighted that the 30% federal tax credit for renewable energy systems is no longer available to residential customers, but it remains available to businesses, nonprofit institutions, and municipalities until December 31, 2027. Quick action is recommended. 

 

Looking ahead

In the current decade, our primary focus is on electricity use. Beginning in 2030, we plan to examine the energy used for heating and transportation as well. We aim to upgrade the heating systems in municipal buildings, and change the composition of our municipal vehicle fleet, with an eye toward transitioning to electric vehicles.

Equally important is encouraging bicycling and walking for short trips around town, rather than driving, to promote health and wellness while saving energy. To this end, we spearhead and support bike- and pedestrian-friendly initiatives, including the electric bicycle loan program and a multi-use loop trail that will encircle the village district and connect the Colby-Sawyer campus with the Shopping Center, the Elementary School, and other destinations in between.

Monthly Meetings

We welcome guests to our monthly meetings, held on the first Wednesday of the month at 7:00 p.m. in Whipple Hall. Come share your energy, enthusiasm, and ideas!

We welcome guests at our monthly meetings, held on the first Wednesday of the month at 5:30 PM (November through March) or 7:00 PM (April through October). Check the Town Calendar for the correct date, time, and location. Come share your energy, enthusiasm, and ideas!