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LOCAL ENERGY SOLUTIONS (LES) CONFERENCE The annual conference is NH's premier energy event for local energy champions, policymakers, municipal officials, state agencies, and industry representatives. REGISTER HERE SPONSORSHIP GET INVOLVED ACCOMMODATIONS . SESSION SPEAKERS Down . EXHIBITOR HALL Down 2025 SPONSORS J Grimbilas Strategic Solutions 2025 Speakers 2025 SPEAKERS The 2025 LES Conference brings together an exceptional roster of speakers from across New Hampshire and beyond — including energy policy leaders, technical experts, community innovators, and industry trailblazers. From the latest in grid modernization to housing and energy solutions, our speakers will share insights, strategies, and success stories to help shape New Hampshire’s clean energy future. PAUL BEMIS Applied Math Modeling Inc DAN BENNETT NH Automobile Dealers Association (NHADA) SARAH BROCK Clean Energy NH GABE CHELIUS Clean Energy NH KATHARINE CUSACK Clean Energy NH CHRISTA DANIELS Irving Institute for Energy & Society, Dartmouth College MIKE DAVEY Energy Effiicienct Investments (EEI) MARY DOWNES Unitil DORI DRACHMAN Monadnock Sustainability Hub SAM EVANS-BROWN Clean Energy NH ELISE FOERSTER NH Community Loan Fund - ROC NH MARK FROLING Froling Energy ZACH HAITCHCOCK 603 Solar KATRIN KASPER Clean Energy NH JAMES KEY-WALLACE NH Business Finance Authority MATTHEW KIRBY Permit Power DALE KNAPP Walden Renewables MARC LEMENAGER Eversource JESSE LORE Green Wave EV DULCIE MADDEN Dig Energy MADELINE MCELANEY Hammond Wheeler Realty JOSH MEEHAN Keene Housing RAVI MIKKELSON Atmos MADELEINE MINEAU Essex Hydro IAN MURPHY Eversource EMILY PECK ConnectDER JAMES PENFOLD Abacus Smart Charge DEB PERRY International City/County Management Association (ICMA) SUSAN PETERS Dublin Selectboard and Energy Committee MATT RUSTEIKA Evari CHRIS SKOGLUND Clean Energy NH BEN SOUCY Granite State Solar CORA STRYKER Bright Saver DAN WEEKS ReVision Energy HOWIE WEMYSS Randolph Energy Committee 2025 EXHIBITORS 2025 Exhibitors HIGHLIGHTS FROM PAST CONFERENCES Did you miss the conference the past couple of years? Well, you're in luck. We've compiled a playlist of all our main speaker sessions on YouTube along with past conference programs. 2024 Conference Audio Recordings 2024 Conference Interactive Program 2023 Conference Session Playlist 2023 Conference Program 2024 EVENT PHOTOS Capturing the moments of the event was courtesy of Rooted in Light Media .

COMMUNITY POWER BRINGING NEW HAMPSHIRE RESIDENTS AND BUSINESS OWNERS CLEANER ENERGY AT COMPETITIVE RATES WHAT IS COMMUNITY POWER? Under a Community Power program, a local government such as a city, town, or county, may procure electricity on behalf of its their residents and businesses on a competitive basis. Community Power programs enable economies of scale associated with bulk purchasing power to lower electricity costs for communities. Community Power programs democratize energy sector governance by enabling local communities to choose where their electricity comes from. By bypassing outdated regulations and legacy technologies, these programs can harness private-sector innovation to lower costs for customers and provide other energy services. Electric distribution utilities (e.g., Eversource, Liberty Utilities, NH Electric Cooperative, and Unitil) continue to deliver electricity to customers via their transmission distribution systems. Community Power is sometimes referred to as “ municipal aggregation ” or “ community choice aggregation .” WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS? By aggregating purchasing power across a community, and by having greater flexibility in energy contracting than regulated utilities, Community Power programs can harness private sector innovation to lower costs for their customers. Community Power programs may choose to purchase power based on other attributes such as renewable sources. Community Power programs can also be a vehicle to construct local renewable energy projects to be the source of power for the program. HOW DOES A LOCAL GOVERNMENT FORM A COMMUNITY POWER PROGRAM? The first step for a local government to implement a Community Power program is for the local governing body – select board, town council, city council, or county commission – to form an electric aggregation committee to develop a Community Power Plan. Multiple towns, cities, or counties may group together to form committees to develop these plans. Once the Community Power plan has been finalized it must be approved for implementation by the local government’s legislative body (e.g., town meeting vote, city council vote). NH COMMUNITY POWER PROVIDERS HOW DO I LEARN MORE ABOUT COMMUNITY POWER? View our downloadable PDF here or contact us at hello@cleanenergynh.org . Municipal members with Clean Energy NH receive exclusive technical assistance on topics such as community power. Become a municipal member for the latest updates and information on community power, energy efficiency, funding opportunities, and more.

MANUFACTURING & HIGH TECH MEMBERS EVARI GUARDIAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS HITCHINER MANUFACTURING WIREBELT OF AMERICA WORTHEN INDUSTRIES

Some people study building science. Some stumble into it through construction. But Margaret Dillon? She feels  it. “It’s in my DNA to think about how buildings think,” she says with a laugh. Raised in a 150-year-old New Jersey farmhouse that her great-grandfather expanded, Dillon grew up exploring its nooks, crannies, and all the changes made as the family adapted the house through all the historic events of the 20th century adaptations. That early curiosity led her to a lifelong passion: helping buildings—and the people who depend on them—adapt for a more efficient, carbon neutral and more resilient future in the 21st century. Margaret Dillon, Founder of S.E.E.D.S From Farmhouse Roots to Founding S.E.E.D.S. Margaret Dillon is the founder and   sole proprietor of S.E.E.D.S. ( Sustainable Energy Education & Demonstration Services ) , a consulting practice she launched in 2006 to bridge the gap between building performance and energy efficiency across New Hampshire. With a master’s degree in environmental science and a deep interest in sustainable infrastructure, Dillon dove right into the work, serving as a carpenter and later as the Executive Director for a local nonprofit focused on affordable housing. In that role, she managed historic residential buildings and raised funds to improve their energy performance. What she saw, time and time again, was a fragmented approach: contractors focusing on quick fixes, not long-term impact. She knew there had to be a better way. “I wanted to look at the full picture,” she explains. So she stepped down from her ED role, retrained as a certified building and energy consultant, and founded S.E.E.D.S. to offer a more comprehensive, science-based strategy for improving buildings—from moisture management to energy upgrades and lowering their carbon footprint. Building for the Long Run  Headed into the heart of the building (photo credit: Margaret Dillon) Today, Dillon works with architects, engineers, municipal boards, and building owners across New Hampshire. Her specialty? Diagnosing inefficiencies in everything from schools and libraries to town halls and homes, and helping those buildings work better , for longer. At the heart of her work is a deep understanding of building science: how moisture travels, heat transfer, how air moves—and how to control it all. “Managing moisture is key to energy efficiency,” she says. “That’s the piece people used to ignore, but it’s foundational.” Her audits often recommend: Air-sealing ceilings  and insulating foundations  to stop heat loss at the source Managing moisture  through effective drainage, sealing dirt floors, and adding ventilation as necessary  Integrating efficient systems  like LED lighting and heat pumps after  improving the building envelope She works closely with NHSaves to help clients tap into available funding for these improvements. And while upfront costs can cause hesitation, especially for older or historic buildings, Dillon helps clients see the long-term value, and walks them through it step by step. Working Across Sectors  Dillon’s approach isn’t just technical, it’s collaborative. “Every audit is like a conversation,” she says. “Everyone brings their own perspective, and my goal is to help weave those into a plan that makes sense for that specific place.”  She spends hours emailing back and forth with selectboards, energy committees, and building managers—answering questions, clarifying cost-benefit breakdowns, and offering guidance. After sending completed reports with recommendations, she offers Zoom meetings to allow real-time dialogue and hands-on discussion of each building’s unique challenges and opportunities. Her favorite moment? When someone on the other side of the call starts to see their building in a new light. “Everyone lives or works in a building,” she says. “When you connect the dots between their own lived experience and building science, it clicks. That’s how change starts.” Over three decades, Dillon has seen real progress. Many architects are integrating energy efficiency into designs from day one. Heat pumps and LED lighting have become more accessible investments. Homeowners are starting to value long-term building health over short-term payback. But there’s still work to do, especially in making the language of energy accessible. “Energy reports can be overwhelming,” she says. “I spend a lot of time trying to help people understand the steps and how they can get from A to B. Laying out that roadmap matters.” That’s where her unique blend of technical precision, intuition, and deep empathy comes in. Whether mentoring a new building science professional or advising a small town on their library retrofit, Dillon brings the same commitment: making New Hampshire’s buildings more efficient, more resilient, and more livable—for the long haul. “We need to adapt our lifestyles and our buildings to meet the challenges ahead,” Dillon says. “That’s what I want to help people do. Create a path. Because even if they don’t know the destination yet, they need to know there’s a way forward.” ----- If you are interested in learning more about Margaret's work, please reach out to her at mdillon@myfairpoint.net . To speak with experts on energy audits and learn moreways you can save, head to nhsaves.com

In a town like Lee, every piece of equipment — every truck, plow, and spreader — plays an important role in keeping daily operations running smoothly. From clearing the roads during snowstorms to supporting construction projects and park maintenance, these vehicles are a pillar in the community’s operations.  For years, Lee’s Highway Department relied on two hard-working trucks dating back to 1996 and 2001, one of which had a 1998 motor. But after years of service, even the best equipment starts to wear out. Breakdowns became more common, repairs more expensive, and keeping up with the work, especially through the winter, got harder and harder. Dealing with the aging vehicles started to cause delays and headaches for staff and community members, and put public safety and basic town operations on hold.  Loading up the old trucks As one team member put it: "We got our money’s worth out of them, but you don’t realize how much you needed new trucks until you finally have them." Facing growing maintenance challenges and rising costs, town leaders began looking for a solution without putting extra strain on taxpayers. That solution came through the Granite State Clean Fleets Grant Program , a partnership that gave Lee the chance to replace two aging trucks with brand-new, fully-outfitted vehicles, saving the town thousands of dollars and breathing new life into their public works fleet. When the grant became available, Energy Circuit Rider Katrin Kasper leapt on the opportunity to assist the town in applying for the grant.  “Working as an Energy Circuit Rider, we know that small changes add up to big savings. When we take an old inefficient vehicle off the road and replace it with a newer, cleaner, and more efficient model, everyone wins.  Thanks to this grant, the town was able to purchase these essential trucks years earlier than expected. That not only lowered the upfront cost burden but also reduced long-term operational expenses, avoiding the high cost of maintaining aging trucks. For just a fraction of the usual cost, the town got a brand-new vehicle that’s cleaner, more efficient, and dependable—something employees and residents can count on when it matters most.” Lee’s grant journey officially began in September 2023 , when the town learned about the opportunity through Clean Energy NH’s Energy Circuit Rider program. With a tight deadline looming, the town quickly teamed up with CENH to complete the application. Lee’s DPW staff provided the needed information while Clean Energy NH supported the construction of the application, ensuring the town could put in a strong, competitive application without overwhelming its staff. Their work paid off. On December 11, 2023 , Lee was awarded funding for not just one, but two brand-new, fully outfitted trucks. Originally, the town had applied for two and hoped to receive funding for a single replacement vehicle; winning two was a major victory, saving Lee hundreds of thousands of dollars and strengthening their fleet for years to come. Click here to check out our video on the new trucks! By the end of December, the first truck had already been delivered, ready to tackle critical tasks like snow plowing, salting, and year-round public works projects. The trucks were fully equipped to go, with the necessary attachments that allow for greater versatility in town operations. And they did it all at a fraction of the cost: Instead of paying over $500,000 for two new trucks, Lee only needed to budget about $97,000 — with the grant covering the rest. As Ben Lyons, a truck driver for Lee’s Public Works Department explained: "It sure helps the budget out a lot. You don't have to save for years and years in capital reserve funds. You can get a vehicle right away — and save the taxpayers money." Peter Hoyt, a mechanic who has worked for the town for over 27 years commented:    "We live here in town, too. We’re taxpayers ourselves, so this directly affects us." How the NH Department of Environmental Services Helps Towns Like Lee Access Funding The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) works to make it easier for towns, businesses, and transit agencies to connect with funding for cleaner, more reliable vehicles. When the first round of this program opened in 2023, 14 projects across New Hampshire — including the town of Lee — were awarded grants to replace aging vehicles, improve air quality in their communities, and strengthen their operational capabilities. The process is designed to be clear and supportive. First, communities review the Request for Proposals (RFP)  to understand the rules, then submit an application. After that, the NHDES team reviews, scores, and works closely with successful applicants to create a grant agreement. It’s a multi-step process, but towns aren’t left on their own — NHDES is there to help every step of the way. Even if there’s no funding available at the moment, NHDES keeps past program information posted online. That way, towns can get a head start by learning the basics, checking eligibility, and being ready when the next round opens. (Tip: even if the program is closed, it’s smart to read through the RFP and start planning early! Receive updates on funding opportunities here .) NHDES also helps clear up common questions, like the difference between vehicle classes  or emissions tiers , and reminds towns about the benefits of working to have local funding approved before submitting a project. At the end of the day, this funding isn’t just about buying new trucks. It’s about improving the everyday lives of town employees, boosting reliability, saving taxpayer dollars, and making our air a little cleaner for everyone. Plus, these grants can even help fill funding gaps  when local or federal dollars don’t quite cover everything. Lee’s story shows what’s possible when small towns take advantage of well-designed grant programs with the right support. By upgrading its fleet through the Granite State Clean Fleets  program, Lee not only improved reliability and safety, it protected its budget and its residents. It's a clear reminder that cleaner, cost-saving solutions are within reach for communities across the Granite State.  Have Questions? Email Energy Circuit Rider Katrin Kasper at katrin@cleanenergynh.org .

Written by Jason Plant, Co-Founder of Green Lightning Energy Sometimes, the best business ideas come from solving the problems right in front of you. For us, it was watching our moms get quoted sky-high prices for solar panel installation. They believed in the benefits of clean energy, but the cost was a serious barrier. So, my friend Kadin Burns and I put our heads together and built a solution that saved them tens of thousands and sparked the beginning of Green Lightning Energy , a company born from the drive to make solar simple and accessible. Our  first media spotlight  came from Clean Energy NH’s Young Professionals in Energy (YPIE) program, which gave us a platform early on to connect with other clean energy advocates and members of the clean energy community.  Since then, we have expanded our business throughout New Hampshire, hired our first employee (shoutout to Miles Drum, our amazing Director of Sales!), expanded to commercial projects, and most recently, we have become a Certified B Corporation ! Certified B Corporations are leaders of a global movement of people using business as a force for good. By reaching the goals of the certification, these organizations have reached the highest standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability by implementing key sustainability initiatives that combat greenwashing. Becoming B Corp Certified offers a stamp of approval from a reliable and trustworthy third-party source. Perhaps most importantly, the certification also serves to catalyze the larger movement for the business community to shift its primary objective from maximizing shareholder value to providing value for all  stakeholders affected by business: workers, customers, suppliers, local communities, and the planet. Despite having taken a handful of companies through the certification process as a student consultant in the University of New Hampshire’s B Impact Clinic , it was a completely different challenge to navigate the certification for our own company. We had to come to terms with an obstacle I had seen many clients face before: we got very few points for each positive answer on the assessment. By design, this forced us to take a hard look at our entire business and find incremental ways to improve our impact in every functional area and for every stakeholder we touch. Luckily, we found that in many cases, instead of trading profitability for purpose, we were able to find win-win solutions that helped us grow the business and  helped us scale our impact.  My favorite example is our Solar Horizons Program , which gives a significant discount to Low Socioeconomic Status (SES) Individuals (as defined by making lower than a living wage according to the MIT Living Wage Calculator) and US Veterans. It solved a key problem for our business in that we often met with customers who, despite our affordable pricing model, still could not afford solar. This kind of initiative is especially timely as New Hampshire explores new approaches to broaden access to clean energy - like community power programs, ratepayer-funded incentives through NHSaves , and ongoing legislative discussions about solar access for low-income households. Programs like Solar Horizons help ensure that the benefits of solar aren’t just for the well-off - they’re for everyone. The Solar Horizons Program gave us a mechanism to support the customers who needed it the most, and justify why we gave them much lower pricing than we would normally allow. In addition to solving this problem in our business, the program also granted us several points on the B Impact Assessment in the Community section. This is just one of the many, many examples of how the B Corp Certification helped us brainstorm ways that we could improve our impact and  our underlying business at the same time! What’s Next? Our company became certified just before B Lab - the independent nonprofit that created and administers the B Corp Certification - released an entirely new framework. While we expect this framework to challenge us even more than their original assessment did as we prepare to recertify, we now know from experience that it will only inspire deeper, more innovative ideas for how to improve the outcomes our business creates for our stakeholders.  We are lucky to have amassed a small but mighty community around our venture that we know we can count on for valuable feedback and ideas on how we can improve. Chief among them are our moms, who have supported us not just since the beginning of our company, but the beginning of our lives! They continue to actively support our business and give us some of our best ideas. It is thanks to our mothers, and their belief in us from the very beginning, that we continue to make solar more affordable and pursue our dreams of being successful entrepreneurs. About the Author: Jason Plant is a serial social entrepreneur with ventures spanning from clean water to clean energy to semiconductor. His B Corp Certified solar installation company, Green Lightning Energy, has made high quality solar installations affordable for customers all across New England. He proudly serves his community as a nonprofit Board Member for the NH Toy Library and Ideas by Youth.