Workshop to teach towns how to save

Jul 19, 2010 — The Telegraph (Nashua, N.H.)

Cameron Kittle

Jul. 19, 2010 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) -- Towns across the state have been invited to learn how to save money by reducing their energy costs, and so far Bedford, Hollis and Hudson are among the 42 municipalities that have jumped at the opportunity.

Representatives from each of the three local towns have signed on for the Municipal Energy Reduction Fund Workshop held at the Local Government Center in Concord on July 28.

The goal is to show towns how to reduce their basic utility costs through energy efficiency and how to get the improvements passed through town meeting, said Glenn Coppelman, the economic development director at the New Hampshire Community Development Finance Authority, which is presenting the workshop.

The finance authority also has a pool of funds for municipalities to borrow to make energy improvements, Coppelman said. He added that street lights and waste-water treatment plants are other possible sites for energy improvement.

"What we're finding is that we need to get the word out, and the best way to get the word out is to communicate with the municipalities and explain the program and tell them how the towns can access these funds," he said.

Bedford's Chris Bandazian, chairman of the town's energy committee, plans to attend the workshop because he thinks the finance authority's program is a great way to save taxpayers' money through simple energy improvements.

"There will be immediate payback to the taxpayers," Bandazian said. "We need to make improvements to our buildings and this is a way to do that."

The towns that choose to take advantage of the funds can borrow low-interest loans and use them to pay for energy efficiency upgrades, retrofits and renovations to town buildings. The idea is that towns will invest in energy conservation and eventually see substantial savings.

Bandazian said all towns should at least hear what's available at the workshop, even if they don't choose to pursue it.

"Towns across New Hampshire, Bedford included, need to address energy conservation and savings," he said. "It's clear there's not enough grant money to look for the government to pay for it, and this is a revolving program that will finance energy improvements through savings."

Hollis resident Christian Heiter and Hudson resident Linda Kipnes, who are both members of their town's energy committees, are also planning to attend the workshop, according to Coppelman. Heiter and Kipnes did not return calls from The Telegraph and were unavailable for comment.

Coppelman said he is working hard to get the word out to town officials about the workshop because even if towns want to take advantage of the loans, many aren't sure how to get them approved and implemented.

"Because most communities in New Hampshire are small towns, they need to go through the town meeting approval process for this kind of expenditure," Coppelman said. "They need to be working now to do the necessary planning for town meeting in spring."

He said depending on the town, sometimes town officials need to draw up warrant articles or bring the subject in front of a board of selectmen or budget committee.

"It's the kind of thing a city can do more quickly than a town can because a city can vote without going back to the voters," he said.

Coppelman added that he is still encouraging towns to sign up for the workshop because it will provide useful information at no cost. The finance authority gets its funding for this particular program through the Public Utilities Commission's Green House Gas Emissions Reduction Fund.

The free workshop is offered in two sessions, from 1-4 p.m. and 5-7 p.m.

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