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Solar Panel Farm8

Subscribe to a CPCNH-sponsored
Group Net Metering project!

What is Group Net Metering? 

Group Net Metering is how New Hampshire does “community solar.” Under Group Net Metering, a “Host” builds a sizable (i.e., community-scale) solar photovoltaic project and shares (virtually/financially) that project’s output with one or more “Group Members” (aka subscribers).  As long as the combined electricity consumption (aka “load”) of the full Group exceeds the amount of electricity generated by the project on an annual basis, the project will earn the applicable net metering credit for every kWh generated.  Because this arrangement depends on the Host’s ability to attract a sufficient number of Group Members, the Host typically (A) charges no subscription fees and (B) agrees to share a small fraction (typically 10% or less) of the net metering credit with each Group Member as an enticement to subscribe. 

How large is “community-scale” solar? 

There is no standard definition, but in New Hampshire, projects up to 5 MW-AC are eligible to participate in Group Net Metering.  A typical ground-mounted 5 MW-AC photovoltaic (PV) project will occupy ~35-40 acres of land and, in New Hampshire, will generate enough electricity over the course of a year to fully offset the consumption of more than 1,000 average New Hampshire households. 

Who can subscribe? 

Under New Hampshire law, Group Net Metering projects of 1 MW-AC or less are open to any type of electricity customer (e.g., residential, commercial, municipal, etc.), as long as that customer (i.e., the subscriber or Group Member) is in the same utility service territory as the Host’s project.  Projects that are larger than 1 MW-AC but less than 5 MW-AC are restricted to “governmental” Group Members—e.g., municipal office buildings, wastewater treatment plants, county courthouses and correctional facilities, school districts (SAUs), etc.—which must also be located in the same utility service territory as the Host’s project. 

What is CPCNH offering? 

CPCNH has partnered with Encore Renewable Energy to bring the Poverty Plains Solar project online.  Poverty Plains is a 4.999 MW-AC solar project that will be built on an old gravel pit along Route 89 northbound in Warner, New Hampshire (the following coordinates will take you to the site in Google Maps: 43.263125, -71.758021).  We expect Poverty Plains to achieve commercial operations in mid-2026 and are seeking “governmental” accounts (given that the project capacity exceeds 1 MW-AC) located in Eversource service territory that are interested in becoming Group Members.  Governmental subscribers located in CPCNH member communities will have priority, but if we are not able to attract sufficient load from within our membership to fully subscribe the project, then we will open it up to Eversource customers more broadly, regardless of membership. 

Site of Poverty Plains Solar project

What does it cost to subscribe? What will I get in return? 

There is no cost to subscribe! Once the project becomes operational (currently expected by mid-2026), subscribers will earn 12.5% of the applicable net metering credit.  For the Poverty Plains Solar project—i.e., >100 kW-AC and located in Eversource service territory—the applicable net metering credit is equal to Eversource’s default supply rate at the time.  For example, for the February-July 2025 period, Eversource’s default supply rate is 8.929 cents/kWh; if the project were operational during this period, subscribers would earn 12.5% of that default supply rate, or 1.12 cents for each kWh subscribed. And CPCNH would pay much less than the current market price for Poverty Plains' RECs.

What would this arrangement have looked like historically?

If Poverty Plains (and CPCNH) had been operating over the historical 15-year period from January 2010-July 2025, subscribers would have saved an average of 1.3 cents per kWh subscribed and CPCNH would have saved an average of 2.5 cents/kWh on RECs (relative to the spot market price). These numbers are based on actual Eversource default supply rate and REC price history, the Poverty Plains PPA price, and sharing 12.5% of the net metering credit with subscribers.

I am interested in learning more—what are the next steps? 

Great!  Here is what we recommend: 

  1. Review CPCNH’s Group Net Metering 101 slide deck. 

  2. Review our FAQs. 

  3. Read our blog post on the Poverty Plains Solar project.

  4. Review CPCNH’s Municipal Host Group Net Metering Membership Agreement. 

  5. Ask us any questions that come to mind! 

  6. Once you are ready to subscribe, assemble the information required to populate the table on page 6 (Appendix B) of the Membership Agreement. 

  7. Send us that information and we will schedule a follow-up call to discuss! 

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