06/03/2025 EC Minutes

Minutes of Bethlehem Energy Commission

June 3, 2025

 

Present:  David Van Houten Mary Lou Krambeer, Josh Lieberman, Bruce Caplain, David Van Houten,

Excused:  Marni Hoyle, Scott Caisse, Chuck Phillips, and Nancy Strand, Select Board Liaison

 

Mission The Bethlehem Energy Commission encourages and supports economically and environmentally sensible energy practices in Bethlehem, NH.

 

Minutes from past meetings may be found at:  https://bethlehemnh.org/minutes/

 

Vote to accept May minutes moved by Bruce Caplain and seconded by David Van Houten.  Approved.

 

We discussed having a 2-3 hour meeting in the late summer to determine our next set of projects.  Marni will do some early work on setting a date and creating a draft agenda.

 

Eversource billing and possible reimbursement for Solar credits:  Dan is working with Eversource to assure both the Town and the BES School bills are formatted the same way and record the same information.  The discrepancy in billing has underestimated the solar credits given to BES.  Dan will be asking for a reconciliation and credit for underpayment.

 

REAP Main Street Solar

No news.

 

Changing REC dealers

David believes one can switch to a new REC dealer 90-days before a contract is renewed.  Contracts are usually 3-4 years in length.  This will be important to track for the Town of Bethlehem as CPCNH, as a nonprofit, pays $10 more per REC.

To Do:  Mary Lou ask solar REC auditor when we can change REC dealers and how it will.

 

IRS Direct Pay Solar Tax Credit

Mary Moritz said the IRS has approved the $32,000 reimbursement with interest (based on January 2024 submission).  This should arrive in mid-June.

 

Waste Water Treatment Plant

WWTF is expecting a $110,000 reimbursement from IRS.  This will probably take many months.  The final cost to the Town for this $410,000 project is approximately $40,000 (due to $370,000 in grants: $250,000 from NHDES, $10,000 from State of NH, and $110,000 from federal government).

 

Electric bill for WWTF in May 2024 $2400 and in 2025 = $600.

 

Level 2 EV charger Bruce reached out to Main’s Electric to see if we could possibly dig a trench to the 3-phase pole near the Town Hall rather than wait on the installation of a new pole.  Meanwhile there is a new pole next to the Free Pantry which may allow us to finally have an opportunity to install a Phase II EV Charger.

 

Community Power Coalition of NH (CPCNH)

Marni reported their rate setting meeting is set for Friday.   PUC moved against UNITIL and their stranded costs.  This is good news for us.

 

Bethlehem residents enrolled in CPCNH

The overall participation rate is 72% with overall opt-ins exceeding opt-outs. Approximately 99% of participants are utilizing the least cost Granite Basic rate at this time with a little more than 1% taking advantage of higher renewable options.   Of the accounts that are not participating 16.5% are with another type of competitive electric supplier (CEPS), 3.2% are net metering (NEM) and only about 2% are a result of opt-outs.

 

Water Plant

Water Plant does not have solar.  Dan and Josh are working on this.  They are going to meet with Josh Welch to decide what to do next based on the energy audit.  A meeting is imminent.

 

VW Dollars

Next proposal deadline is in the fall.  Grant opportunities offer 25%-90% of the cost of replacing municipal vehicles with vehicles with better mileage.  Perhaps highway department – plow or dump truck or pick up or utility truck.

To Do:  Bruce will talk to Mary Moritz about what new vehicles are in-line for purchases in 2025. Marti will find deadline.

 

BEC Meetings in 2025 (first Tuesday of the month): 

July 1 (Marni), Aug 5, Sept 2, Oct 7, Nov 4, Dec 2

 

Adjourned at 7:19