The New Hampshire Electric Cooperative Is ACORE’s Member of the Month

A utility leading New England towards a greener future, the New Hampshire Electric Cooperative is ACORE’s Member of the Month.

NHEC is the largest electric cooperative in New England and serves more than 200,000 people in the Granite State. The cooperative is a member-owned and controlled electric distributor that has devoted considerable resources to energy efficiency programs and the development of renewable energy sources in New England. Fred Anderson, President of NHEC, says these green initiatives have been a priority for the cooperative since the 1970s because “supporting energy efficiency and the growth of renewable sources is the right thing to do.”

NHEC has backed up this philisophy by investing over $11 million in energy efficiency programs during the past decade.  These initiatives have saved nearly 350 million kWh of energy and reduced carbon emissions by 158,000 tons. NHEC has also launched the smallSTEPS campaign, which encourages members to "take small steps that make big strides towards a better energy future."  Steve Kaminski, Vice President of Power Resources, says NHEC will build off these successes by "deploying a system-wide advanced metering and communications infrastructure, which will allow members to efficiently respond to real-time usage and pricing."

NHEC is also committed to going “above and beyond” New Hampshire’s Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) and the “25 by ‘25” initiative endorsed by the state’s Governor. By purchasing electricity from two wind farms and a landfill gas plant, NHEC’s portfolio of renewable sources is triple the amount currently required by the state’s RPS. Kaminski is confident that NHEC will continue to exceed these goals and notes that the cooperative has “already finalized contracts for new renewable projects.” Additionally, NHEC has provided more than $600,000 in rebates to members who installed small wind turbines and solar hot water and photovoltaic systems in their homes.

NHEC also plays an important role in the local communities of its members. NHEC’s Act Socially & Environmentally Responsible initiative encourages local economic development, employee participation in community organizations, and provides resources for local non-profits through the NHEC Foundation. In recognition of these successful efforts to make New Hampshire a greener and more prosperous state, ACORE is proud to name NHEC as our newest Member of the Month.