New Hampshire Multi-Site Cannabis Operator Energy: Three ATC Portfolios, Four Utilities, and Default Service Calendars

Why New Hampshire portfolios are small but geographically split

New Hampshire is not Maine or Massachusetts. RSA 126-X:7 allows no more than four Alternative Treatment Center registrations at any time, and RSA 126-X:8 requires them to operate not-for-profit [nh-rsa-126-x]. Three operators (GraniteLeaf Cannabis, Sanctuary Medicinals, Temescal Wellness) run vertically integrated cultivation, processing, and seven dispensary locations in Chichester, Conway, Dover, Keene, Lebanon, Merrimack, and Plymouth [hemp-gazette-nh-tcp-2026]. Registered patients and caregivers totaled 16,846 as of June 2025 [hemp-gazette-nh-tcp-2026].

That is the entire regulated market. A multi-site operator in New Hampshire means one of three nonprofit ATCs managing two or three dispensaries plus a cultivation and processing facility, not a 50-store adult-use chain. Energy procurement still matters because those sites may span Eversource (roughly 70 percent of state customers), Unitil (Seacoast and Concord), Liberty Utilities (Salem, Pelham, Upper Valley), and NHEC (rural central and northern New Hampshire) [nh-rsa-374-f].

Unlike Maine, there is no NMISA split. All four utilities sit in ISO New England, so supplier pools and capacity costs are comparable [nh-rsa-374-f]. Delivery tariffs and Default Energy Service benchmarks still differ by utility.

Portfolio load profiles by site type

Site type	Typical Eversource class	Peak demand range	Supply exposure
Dispensary (retail)	Rate G under 100 kW	15 to 40 kW	Default service or fixed supplier
Cultivation (ATC grow)	Rate GV up to 1,000 kW	200 to 600 kW	Monthly default pricing or fixed supplier
Processing lab (co-located)	Rate GV	80 to 250 kW	Monthly default pricing or fixed supplier
Large campus	Rate LG above 1,000 kW	1,000+ kW	Monthly default pricing with kVA demand

Delivery class placement follows peak demand thresholds on each utility's tariff [eversource-nh-summary-rates-2026]. Rate G bills demand above 5 kW; Rate GV bills $8.73 per kW distribution for the first 100 kW and $13.05 per kW transmission demand [eversource-nh-summary-rates-2026]. A portfolio CFO needs one spreadsheet with account number, utility, delivery class, Default Energy Service tier, contract end date, and monthly kWh and kW for every site.

Default Energy Service exposure across the portfolio

Default Energy Service is procured through competitive solicitations under RSA 374-F and reset on February 1 and August 1 each year [nh-rsa-374-f]. For Eversource Rate GV and LG customers, the energy charge is set month by month within the period [eversource-nh-summary-rates-2026]:

Month	Default energy charge
August 2026	11.862 cents/kWh
September	10.645
October	10.528
November	12.119
December	18.350
January 2026	19.760

Assume a portfolio representing one of the three ATC operators with three sites:

• Chichester cultivation: 320 kW peak, 140,000 kWh/month on Rate GV
• Dover dispensary: 18 kW peak, 5,500 kWh/month on Rate G
• Lebanon dispensary: 16 kW peak, 4,800 kWh/month on Liberty Utilities

January supply cost on Default Energy Service (GV at 19.760 cents):

Site	kWh	Supply rate	Monthly supply
Cultivation	140,000	19.760 cents	~$27,664
Dover dispensary	5,500	~19.760 cents (approx.)	~$1,087
Lebanon dispensary	4,800	utility-specific default	varies

October supply cost on the same GV tier (10.528 cents) drops cultivation supply to about $14,739. That $12,900 monthly swing on one account is why portfolio managers stagger fixed supplier contracts so no more than one-third of load rolls off in any quarter.

Delivery demand on the 320 kW cultivation account adds roughly $4,500 to $5,500 per month in distribution and transmission demand charges at current Eversource GV tariff lines [eversource-nh-summary-rates-2026]. Supply contracts do not touch delivery.

Procurement calendar for a New Hampshire operator

Retail choice has been available since the late 1990s under RSA 374-F [nh-rsa-374-f]. Practical steps:

1. Centralize interval data. Pull twelve months of bills for every account across Eversource, Unitil, Liberty, and NHEC. Separate delivery from supply on each.
2. Map contract end dates. Flag accounts within 90 days of supplier contract expiration.
3. Price by utility. Request offers separately for each utility territory. Default Energy Service benchmarks differ even within ISO-NE.
4. Match term to load. Fixed 12- or 24-month contracts hedge winter exposure on cultivation and processing loads. Shorter terms or block-and-index structures may suit dispensaries with lower volume.
5. Track the six-month default cycle. Default Energy Service resets February 1 and August 1 [nh-rsa-374-f]. For GV/LG accounts, also track the monthly energy charge within each period [eversource-nh-summary-rates-2026].

New Hampshire commercial power averaged 21.22 cents per kWh in June 2026 against a U.S. average of 14.19 cents [eia-epm-5-6-a]. Portfolio savings come from beating Default Energy Service on supply, not from delivery, which stays with the utility regardless of supplier.

The multi-state operator procurement strategy page covers cross-state portfolio management. The fixed vs. index contracts page explains term structures for nonprofit operators that favor predictability over speculative exposure.

Climate and load coordination across sites

New Hampshire averages 7,449 heating degree days and 299 cooling degree days [noaa-cag-new-hampshire]. Cultivation sites in Conway or Plymouth face longer heating seasons than dispensaries in Merrimack or Salem. Winter envelope heat loss and humidification drive cultivation peaks from November through March [noaa-cag-new-hampshire]. Dispensaries see smaller seasonal swings but still pay winter Default Energy Service rates on supply.

NHSaves programs run across all four participating utilities and fund custom HVAC, retrocommissioning, and lighting measures through the System Benefits Charge [nhsaves-business]. A portfolio-wide efficiency audit before the next supplier contract renewal can reduce peak kW at cultivation sites, which lowers delivery demand charges that no supply contract can touch.

Nonprofit constraint on procurement

RSA 126-X:8 requires ATCs to operate not-for-profit [nh-rsa-126-x]. Energy savings flow to program sustainability and patient access, not investor distributions. Contract terms should favor predictable cost over speculative index exposure. A master supplier agreement covering multiple account numbers still requires each meter to enroll separately under RSA 374-F [nh-rsa-374-f].

The submetering page covers how to allocate load when cultivation, processing, and office functions share one service entrance at an ATC campus.

How New Hampshire compares to neighboring MSO markets

The scale is different. Maine runs an open adult-use market with dozens of cultivation and manufacturing licenses and nearly 200 retail stores across CMP and Versant territories, including an NMISA split in northern Maine. Massachusetts runs a full adult-use market with Eversource and National Grid territories and Basic Service monthly pricing.

New Hampshire's entire regulated base is three nonprofit operators with seven retail locations [nh-rsa-126-x]. The procurement mechanics rhyme with those states: ISO-NE capacity costs, winter supply spikes, and demand-metered delivery on large accounts. The Maine multi-site page covers CMP vs. Versant territory splits and NMISA pricing for northern Maine. The Massachusetts multi-site page covers Eversource and National Grid portfolio management in a much larger market.

Three-site maximum cultivation portfolio

With only three ATC operators, New Hampshire MSO strategy is limited to multi-location dispensary procurement plus three cultivation campuses [nh-rsa-126-x]. Eversource serves about seventy percent of meters; Unitil and Liberty accounts need separate RFP lines [eversource-nh-summary-rates-2026].

Adult-use legislative risk in procurement terms

HB 186 failure in the Senate means no near-term adult-use meter growth [norml-nh-hb186-2026]. Avoid long-term supply contracts priced for hypothetical retail expansion [norml-nh-hb186-2026]. Medical patient count was 16,846 as of June 2025 [hemp-gazette-nh-tcp-2026].

Maximum three cultivation campuses

Only three ATC operators exist statewide [nh-rsa-126-x]. Portfolio strategy focuses on seven dispensary meters plus three grow campuses [hemp-gazette-nh-tcp-2026]. Unitil and Liberty accounts need separate supplier quotes [nh-rsa-374-f].

Additional procurement and tariff notes

Maximum three cultivation campuses and seven retail sites [nh-rsa-126-x] [hemp-gazette-nh-tcp-2026]. Unitil and Liberty need separate quotes [nh-rsa-374-f].

Additional load and utility notes

Avoid long-term contracts priced for hypothetical adult-use expansion [norml-nh-hb186-2026].

Three-campus maximum procurement

Align all ATC cultivation accounts to one supplier bid cycle [nh-rsa-126-x]. Unitil Exeter and Liberty Upper Valley accounts need separate benchmarks [nh-rsa-374-f]. Avoid adult-use expansion pricing until statute changes [norml-nh-hb186-2026].

Seven retail meters maximum scale

Seven dispensary locations plus three grow campuses define the NH portfolio ceiling [hemp-gazette-nh-tcp-2026] [nh-rsa-126-x]. Unitil and Liberty territories need separate supplier quotes [nh-rsa-374-f].

Supplemental tariff and procurement detail

Three ATC campuses and seven retail sites cap statewide MSO scale [nh-rsa-126-x]. Avoid adult-use expansion pricing until statute changes [norml-nh-hb186-2026].

NH portfolio ceiling note

Seven retail and three grow sites define maximum NH MSO scale [nh-rsa-126-x].

Where to go next

• New Hampshire hub for regulatory overview.
• Commercial electricity rates for class tables.
• How to switch suppliers for enrollment mechanics.
• Cultivation facility energy for grow load profiles.
• Dispensary retail energy for retail load profiles.

Confirm current Default Energy Service prices and supplier registration on the New Hampshire Department of Energy site before signing. Adult-use legalization remains blocked as of September 2026: the Senate tabled HB 186 15-9 on March 5, 2026 [nh-rsa-126-x]. Plan portfolio energy budgets on the medical program only.