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

   and Municipal Building, review our energy usage data and recommend renewable energy

   installations.

.  We have examined the amount of available solar power throughout the year using a solar

   pathfinder for 5 prospective sites in town, eventually selecting one, largely for its potential

   energy productivity and beneficial location. And we are requesting that its site on town-owned

   land near the Elementary School be reserved until adequate financial support becomes available

   to take further steps.

. We are communicating with members of other town committees regarding an effort to support a 

  project to bring more affordable housing to Temple and to provide the electricity the homes

  would require with solar power along with.

  We have agreed to participate in the work of a charrette to assist in the initial planning for that 

  project.

. We will then hold the designed array recommendation ready to present to the Select Board,

  hold a public hearing, and present it in a Warrant Article at Town Meeting once sufficient 

  financial options become available. 

. On another track, we requested and received the authorization from our Select Board to

  proceed  with an evaluation of the opportunity offered by the passage of Senate Bill 286 in 

  2019, which allows towns to establish Community Power Plans for greater local control and

  reduced costs for the electricity needs of their entire community. 

 Community Power Plans provide towns the ability to:

 1.  lower costs through bulk purchasing

 2.  provide the option of switching to renewable power sources

 3.  offer price stability and demand response options

 4.  provide an opt-out choice for any electricity customer 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 in a public hearing and as warrant articles for approval at a Town Meeting.

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 GHG emissions which intensify the climate crises now & for 

  future generations.

• For stabilizing energy costs - avoiding the politics and volatility of the world's

  fossil fuel markets

• For the cheapest source of energy on the market  

. To support local jobs and our region's developing renewable energy

  industry 

. For price protections from rising food and other supply costs due to crop, dairy,

  livestock, lumber and sea food impacts from floods, fires, droughts, pollution and

  rising ocean temperatures

. For more secure wells - protected from drying out during more frequent droughts

. For healthier organic vegetable gardens with less ground pollution

. To eliminate power outages caused by damage to the fossil fuel power lines hit by

  downed branches and trees from storms and winds. No more 14 day outages like

  Temple's 2008 Ice Storm!  Along with Temple's potential solar PV power we will be

  recommending battery storage for power dependability