By PAULA TRACY, InDepthNH.org
PLYMOUTH – While a review by the Attorney General’s civil rights unit into NH Electric Co-Op after two women members of the board of directors resigned in June citing sexism, Attorney General John Formella told the governor and Executive Council Wednesday that the member-owned utility is running “competently,” though there may be some suggested changes.
In June at the annual membership meeting of the cooperative, Sharon Davis, former chair and Madeline McElaney, vice-chair, resigned and said to not speak out about it would be wrong.
The state’s consumer advocate had called for an investigation by the PUC about the allegations: https://indepthnh.org/2024/06/28/consumer-advocate-calls-for-investigation-of-n-h-electric-cooperative/
Executive Councilor Joe Kenney, R-Wakefield asked Formella for an update on the matter at the council meeting held at Church Landing in Meredith.
Formella said the civil rights unit within his office had “taken additional steps with this review or investigation.”
Asked by Kenney if the member-owned utility was being run competently, Formella said:
“I think I can say overall it is being run competently. There may be some issues there we want to address but…I don’t want to prejudge any conclusion,” Formella said.
He said he was not immediately able to give an estimate on the time frame for the conclusion or report.
In its October 2024 newsletter, the NHEC announced that the Board of Directors has appointed two men as replacements for the two women following the resignations in June at the annual meeting of Davis and McElaney.
Peter Laufenberg of Thronton, an investment advisor representative and a retirement plan designer and John Goodrich of Littleton, a retired executive, are joining the board, the newsletter states.
It also said it is seeking members to be candidates for a nominating committee who will review qualifications of potential candidates seeking election to the NHEC board of directors.
Kenney had previously mentioned his concern noting the council approved a $50 million rural broadband project to the NHEC in 2022.
The effort has been to expand NHEC’s fiber-optic broadband internet service to more than 23,000 homes, businesses and municipalities in 73 New Hampshire towns.
The grant, awarded by the New Hampshire Department of Business and Economic Affairs, followed a competitive bid process.
The funding was part of $221 million in federal funding to expand broadband access in New Hampshire.
NHEC first electrified homes without power more than 80 years ago, using the Rural Electrification Act. The broadband effort now underway is again to look to connect the “last mile” in rural places to high-speed internet access.
It is unlike other utilities in the state that are regulated by the Public Utilities Commission.
This is a member-owned cooperative with its own board of directors and annual meeting where “members” who are also customers get to vote.
NHEC calls itself a “member-led electric distribution cooperative serving 86,000 homes and businesses in 118 New Hampshire communities.”
Learn more at www.NHEC.com.
