CPCNH at LES 2025: Advancing Local Energy Solutions Through Leadership, Community, and Collaboration

CPCNH Acting General Manager Henry Herndon opens LES 2025 with remarks on the power of local action

Representatives from several New Hampshire municipalities—including CPCNH member communities—celebra

Images courtesy of Rooted In Light Media

The 2025 Local Energy Solutions (LES) Conference convened New Hampshire’s energy community on Thursday, September 25, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester Downtown. The event brought together local energy champions, municipal leaders, industry experts, and policymakers for a day of networking, highlighting success stories, and sharing of bold ideas. Hosted and organized by Clean Energy NH, LES is one of the state’s leading energy industry convenings—designed to accelerate local innovation, promote best practices, and strengthen the network of energy stakeholders across the Granite State.

A returning Co-presenting Sponsor along with its strategic partner Calpine Community Energy, the Community Power Coalition of New Hampshire (CPCNH) and its leaders and member communities were highlighted throughout the conference. CPCNH has participated in LES for three consecutive years—exhibiting in 2023 and serving as Co-Presenting Sponsor with Calpine in both 2024 and 2025. We’re proud to support LES and value our ongoing collaboration with Clean Energy NH in advancing local energy solutions across the state.

The conference opened with remarks from CPCNH’s AGM, Henry Herndon, who spoke about the role of local action in accelerating the state’s energy transition:

“Three years ago, Community Power did not exist in New Hampshire,” said Herndon. “Today, cities and towns across our state, your cities and towns, own new democratic power agencies that supply electricity to more than 200,000 customers, roughly a quarter of electric customers in the state. This is a paradigm shift – technically, financially, and politically.”

Read the full transcript of Henry's remarks here.

Joining Herndon in opening LES was Josh Brock, Vice President of Commercial Operations at Calpine Community Energy, who underscored Calpine's ongoing commitment to supporting community choice aggregation nationwide and highlighted the growing impact of CPCNH in enabling energy innovation across the state.

The conference highlighted a number of successful projects and programs led by member representatives and energy committee members within CPCNH member communities.

In “Local Success Stories: Real Progress from the Ground Up,” Howie Wemyss, a member of the Randolph Energy Efficiency Project in Randolph, N.H., shared how an idea for a town solar project mobilized the community to pursue other energy efficiency upgrades. Town residents drafted a warrant article in just one day to establish a $20,000 Energy Efficiency Capital Reserve Fund, which enabled the town to pursue lighting audits, building upgrades, and solar installation. In its first year, the effort reduced municipal energy bills by 40%. The session underscored how persistence, local buy-in, and strategic funding mechanisms can make community-driven progress possible, even in small towns.

Later in the day, the session “Back to Basics: Financing Energy Saving Projects Post OBBBA” explored how communities are adapting their local clean energy strategies in lieu of federal tax credits and key funding programs. Dori Drachman, a CPCNH member representative from Peterborough and the chair of the board of directors of the Monadnock Sustainability Hub, shared how the Hub is preparing to launch a new privately funded grant initiative to help low- and moderate-income households. The program will help households afford energy upgrades and projects, such as cold-climate heat pumps, weatherization, electrical panel improvements, residential solar systems, batteries and electric vehicles. This initiative is modeled on similar publicly funded efforts in Peterborough and Harrisville and is designed to offer greater flexibility in the absence of now-delayed federal rebates.

“We’re building on successful models in the region to offer flexible, resident-focused funding for electrification,” said Drachman. “By leveraging private support, we can help fill gaps left by federal programs and keep the momentum going at the community level.”

Several communities were recognized during the lunch session for achieving designation through the national SolSmart program, which honors local governments for advancing solar energy development.

Among the awardees were three CPCNH member communities: Barrington, which advanced from Bronze to Gold in 2025; Stratham, which earned Silver; and Hopkinton, a new designee. Other recognized towns included Hampton and Dublin, both honored for their solar leadership. Additional CPCNH members previously awarded include Portsmouth (Bronze, 2024), Bedford (Bronze in 2023, Silver in 2024), Lebanon (Silver, 2019), and Peterborough (Gold, 2022).

As the clean energy landscape continues to evolve, the LES Conference remains a powerful platform for leadership, collaboration, and community empowerment. CPCNH is proud to support and participate in this vital event, and we look forward to continuing to work with our partners to build an energy future that is affordable, and community centered.