Rindge’s Community Power Committee is split on whether to recommend a warrant article in March to adopt community power for the town.

Four of the seven committee members have written a report in favor of adopting community power, while another has written a report on behalf of the three against it. When the committee voted, one member was absent, leaving a 3-3 tie.

“We can’t give a solid yes or a solid no,” said Bob Hamilton, a member of both the Select Board and the Community Power Committee. Hamilton was one of the no votes, and wrote the minority opinion.

Hamilton also said some citizens have indicated they intend to submit a petition warrant article if the town does not officially put an article forward.

Selectman Chair Karl Pruter said whether the vote was 3-3 or 4-3, he still considered it a split vote, and was “sort of in the middle on this,” after reading both reports and talking to committee members.

Selectman Tom Coneys said he also didn’t have a strong side on the issue, noting he could “go either way on it.”

Community power allows municipalities to purchase power in bulk for residents, with the intent of negotiating lower rates and the potential for more energy from renewable sources. Typically, community power agreements only address the source of they energy, with Eversource continuing to maintain the power lines and bill customers. In most models locally, residents have the option to opt out of the program at its inception, and can jump in or out of the program at will.

The pro-community power report, written by Dan Bissex, Tina Sbrega, Jim Burger and Dwight Schenk, noted that some community power programs have saved their communities “significant expense in the purchase of residential electricity.”

“Several structures exist to easily join and operate within,” the report reads.

According to the report, using the current Community Power Coalition of New Hampshire rate of 8.9 cents per kilowatt hour, compared to the 10.4 cent default rate from Eversource, would translate to $120,000 in savings for residential ratepayers in Rindge over the next six months, if all 2,400 default Eversource customers signed up.

The minority opinion suggested that joining CPCNH or any other “opt-out” option – as opposed to a voluntary system to join – would “be strongly to the disadvantage of the Town of Rindge and its residents.”

Hamilton wrote that residents have the option to pursue third-party suppliers for cheaper rates., and since Cheshire County is participating in the Community Power Coalition, each citizen of the  county, including Rindge residents, can choose to join the coalition.

“Therefore, there will be no net advantage to Rindge residents if the town decides to also join, and impose a change of default electricity supplier on those residents,” Hamilton wrote.

According to Hamilton, it “would be appropriate and useful” for the the town to help educate residents regarding electricity supply options, but “inappropriate for the town to make this decision on behalf of residents.”

The Select Board did not  take any action Wednesday on t he re  commendation vote of the Co mmunity Power Committee.

A shley Saari can be reached at 603-924-7172, Ext. 244, or asaari@ledgertranscript.com. She’s on X @AshleySaariMLT.