ENERGY CIRCUIT RIDER PROGRAM
Our Circuit Rider team provides no cost technical assistance to make NH's energy projects happen
"THAT PROGRAM HAS BEEN A GODSEND
FOR THE WHOLE NORTH COUNTRY"
-Rob Larson, Whitefield Public Works Director
Completed and ongoing circuit rider projects
The Energy Circuit Rider (ECR) program provides comprehensive no cost technical assistance catered to each community's needs.
Circuit Riders assist with creating in depth project plans, writing warrant articles, assisting with grant applications, creating capital reserve funds, town ordinances, and pulling together multiple funding streams to make projects happen.
Our team has dedicated staff members operating in most regions of New Hampshire providing assistance to their communities.
HOW WE HELP
Photo by Cheryl Senter, courtesy of the NH Charitable Foundation
SOLAR The Circuit Rider Team has completed 23 solar projects since 2019. We work with communities to find the best site locations, gauge system size, help with zoning and permitting, and have relationships with developers all around NH to find the right fit for your project.
WEATHERIZATION The Circuit Rider Team has completed 23 solar projects
LIGHTING The Circuit Rider Team has completed 23 solar projects
EV CHARGING The Circuit Rider Team has completed 23 solar projects
HEAT PUMPS The Circuit Rider Team has completed 23 solar projects
TOWN ORDINANCES The Circuit Rider Team has completed 23 solar projects
ECR Resources
Working With the Best
START WITH US!
The ECR team is your go to place to start your energy project. Whether you have questions about how to start projects, how different technologies work, or how to find ways to finance your project, we can help! All of our assistance is NO COST. We meet at our communities where they are at. Email us, call us, or invite us to your energy committee meeting!
Our History
The Energy Circuit Rider (ECR) Program was created and piloted in Coös County beginning in 2019. The goal of the program was to create a dedicated staff person to provide capacity and expertise to communities to support informed energy decision making. From 2019 to 2022, the North Country Circuit Rider helped more than a dozen communities complete over 30 energy efficiency and clean energy projects. The Circuit Rider Program has helped North Country communities receive more than $1.2 million in incentives and grants, resulting in over $3 million dollars invested in clean energy projects. In 2022, CENH partnered with the Monadnock Sustainability Hub and others to add a Monadnock Energy Circuit Rider. Since then, the program has expanded to cover Rockingham, Strafford, and Sullivan counties as well.
The Energy Circuit Rider program also supports small businesses, including farms. In early 2022, a new kind of Energy Circuit Rider was added, specifically to provide similar technical assistance to small businesses in the North Country. In 2024, CENH received a three-year USDA grant to expand that program statewide, specifically to assist small businesses (including farms) in applying for USDA’s Rural Energy for America Program (REAP).
An Energy Circuit Rider is a shared staff person providing services to multiple cities and towns across a region. The CENH Energy Circuit Riders help municipalities and small businesses plan, finance, and implement energy-saving upgrades to buildings and infrastructure, as well as clean energy technologies such as renewable energy or electric vehicle charging infrastructure. Working side-by-side with municipal officials and business owners, Energy Circuit Riders provide capacity and expertise to support informed decision making.
Read more information about the program here.
