Temple's 100% Renewable Energy

Task Force

Temple citizens approved a Warrant Article, initiated by the Energy Committee, at the 2018 Town Meeting requesting the establishment of a task force to recommend options for transitioning our municipal energy usage to 100% renewables by 2030. 

Provide Temple citizens with viable, cost-effective options for converting our municipal energy usage to 100% renewable energy by 2030.  

· We have collected the energy usage data for Temple’s municipal sector to assess the demand for each building.

· We have obtained professional energy audits for Town Hall and the Annex - both not previously audited or retrofitted for energy efficiency.

· We have held meetings with directors of the NH Community Development Finance Authority and Clean Energy NH to discuss financial assistance options for renewable energy installations.

· We have invited three reputable renewable energy installers to conduct site visits for our FD/Municipal Building, review our energy usage data and recommend renewable energy installations.

   We were also appointed by the Select Board to be the town's Community Power Evaluation Commiitee and are considering a recommendation to establish a Community Power Plan for Temple. This option has grown out of state legislation which passed in 2019 authotizing NH municipalities to establish local control over their community'e residential, municipal and business electricity sources and costs,  It would:

 1.  lower costs through bulk purchasing

 2.  provide and facilitate the option of switching to renewable power sources

 3.  offer price stability through control over pricing

  4. and provide an opt-out choice for residents or businesses choosing not to participate

We are also exploring the options for installing an EV (electric vehicle) charging station in town.  

We will continue to evaluate options for making viable cost-neutral recommendations for converting our municipal energy usage to renewables and providing lower cost electricity through Community Power.  

We will discuss our suggestions with appropriate town committees and boards, and will bring the recommendations to our citizens as warrant articles for approval at Town Meetings.

And we will assist in the oversight of installations and financial arrangements for whichever renewable energy sources have been selected until we reach 100% renewable power for Temple's municipal sector by 2030. And we will assist in the establishment of a Community Power plan if that option is approved by our citizens. 

• For curbing the GHG emissions which intensify climate crises threatening present and future generations

• For stable energy costs - avoiding the volatility of the fossil fuel markets

• For the cheapest source of energy on the market

• To support local and in-state jobs - expanding the state’s renewable energy industry 

 . To reduce the federal, state and local taxes necessary for covering the costs from increasingly destructive storms, fires, floods, and droughts as well as the resulting crop losses, dairy closures, higher food prices and health impacts