Francestown and eight other municipalities in Southern New Hampshire formed a cooperative to supply electricity at a reduced rate.
The Regional Electric Purchasing Cooperative was formed by the Southern New Hampshire Planning Commission and Standard Power of America. SNHPC has been developing the project since February.
“In a small town or school district, every couple bucks counts,” Matthew Rounds, president of Standard Power, said.
The cooperative includes the towns of Auburn, Chester, Deerfield, Derry, Francestown, Goffstown, Raymond, Weare and Windham, as well as the school districts in Derry, Goffstown, Raymond and Windham.
Francestown’s municipal electric consumption mostly goes toward powering public town buildings, according to Selectboard Chair Brad Howell.
“We [are in the cooperative] because there are more favorable electrical rates,” he said.
The towns locked in the purchase rates on May 16. Total, they are positioned to save more than $1.6 million over three years, based on current rate and usage projections.
Of that, Francestown will save $12,921, according to David Preece, SNHPC executive director.
That is savings of 27.7 percent.
In addition to saving money, the cooperative also plans to have at least 20 percent of its consumption come from green power sources.
Howell felt that the use of renewable energy is an “added benefit.”
In Francestown, one-third of electricity in the next three years will be hydropower, according to Rounds.
He said, “It will be generated by hydrodams out of all over New Hampshire.”