Sullivan County Forms Community Power Committee, Joins State Coalition

Sullivan County officials have created a Community Power Committee and joined the Community Power Coalition of New Hampshire as part of a coordinated effort to pursue community power, commonly known as electric aggregation. The county page announcing the change outlines the purpose of community power and identifies who stands to benefit. The initiative applies to county residents and businesses that are not already covered by local community power plans.

Several towns in Sullivan County already operate their own community power programs. Charlestown, Grantham, Newport and Plainfield are listed as having existing plans, and their residents remain under those municipal arrangements. For the rest of the county the new committee is drafting an Electric Aggregation Plan, abbreviated as EAP, which will set the framework for whether and how Sullivan County will procure electricity on behalf of participating customers.

The committee chair is County Manager Derek Ferland who is listed as the primary contact for the effort through the County Manager's Office. The county website hosts the draft EAP and materials from past public hearings, and the page explains next steps including formal public hearings and opportunities for public comment. Residents interested in the specifics of plan design, enrollment opt in and opt out procedures, or projected timelines are directed to those materials and to the County Manager's Office for further information.

The move aligns Sullivan County with a statewide coalition that provides technical and policy support for municipal aggregation, offering a path to centralized planning across multiple jurisdictions. For local households and small businesses that are not currently in municipal plans, the county level program could offer a new option for collective sourcing of electricity. The committee process and public hearings will determine enrollment rules and supplier selection criteria, and will give residents a chance to shape local energy decisions.

As the EAP advances through drafting and public review, county residents should consult the Sullivan County website for the posted plan documents and hearing schedules, or contact County Manager Derek Ferland at the County Manager's Office for direct information.