New Hampshire Democrats Look to Override Governor on Clean Energy

After reclaiming both state legislative chambers, New Hampshire Democrats look to revive clean energy agenda.

Newly empowered New Hampshire Democrats are preparing to push a clean energy agenda in sharp contrast with Republican Gov. Chris Sununu’s “all-of-the-above” energy vision for the state.

At issue will be proposals to expand solar net metering and double the state’s renewable electricity standard to 50 percent by 2040, as well as potential legislation to bolster small hydro, offshore wind and energy efficiency.

Controversial Clean Energy Bill in NH Becomes Law Without Governor’s Signature

Measure seeks to boost wood, solar industries.

Senate Bill 129, a measure that gives a boost to the state’s wood and solar energy industries but could also raise electric bills, became law July 11 without Gov. Chris Sununu’s signature.

The bill – dubbed the Clean Energy Jobs Act of 2017 – was the only significant energy bill passed in the recently concluded legislative session. It was controversial to the very end, pitting the Business and Industry Association of New Hampshire against other business groups, such as the NH Clean Tech Council and the NH Timberland Owners Association.

Reviewing the NH Legislature’s Energy Accomplishments

While there were plenty of bills up for a vote, very few were enacted

With the conclusion of the Legislature’s 2017 session, it is time to take stock of what the General Court did, and didn’t do, from an energy perspective.

While there were a number of bills proposed that would have made some significant changes to our laws governing a variety of energy issues, many of them were either retained for study over the summer and fall, after which they will be taken up during the 2018 session, or they were killed. 

Maine Solar Customers to Receive Lower Bill Credits Starting in 2018

The solar policy battle will now move to the state legislature.

The Maine Public Utilities Commission has approved a measure to roll back retail-rate net metering and move to a buy-all, sell-all arrangement beginning on January 1, 2018.

Under the new rate structure approved Tuesday, distributed solar customers will have to sell 100 percent of the energy they produce to the utility on one rate, and then buy back 100 percent of the energy they need from the utility on another, higher rate.

New Hampshire Sticks With Solar Net Metering, Which Voters Support

 Last Friday, Governor Maggie Hassan joined ReVision Energy co-founder Phil Coupe at Throwback Brewery in North Hampton for a ceremonial signing of HB1116 — New Hampshire’s landmark solar energy bill — which Governor Hassan officially signed into law in May.

HB1116 essentially doubled the Granite State’s net metering cap (from 50 MW to 100 MW) and called for a 10-month study by the Public Utilities Commission to look into the future of solar rate design in the state. This was a huge victory for solar advocates in response to a full-court press by monopoly utilities looking to gut the policy.

The ceremonial signing adds to growing momentum behind solar energy in New Hampshire, a key swing state in the upcoming US presidential election. Recent polling found overwhelming support for solar energy among critical independent voters, with 90% of those polled in favor of increased usage. 

Hassan Signs Solar Bill into Law, Giving Boost to Renewable Developers

Solar power in New Hampshire cleared a major hurdle Monday after Gov. Maggie Hassan signed a bill into law that doubles the state cap for net metering, an incentive that lets people sell their excess solar energy back into the grid.

A surge in renewable development recently led two utilities in the state – including the largest in New Hampshire – to reach a state-set cap limiting how many customers can net meter.

Solar developers said the cap threatened business and could shut -down the industry, because net metering is makes their projects financially viable.

New Hampshire Gov. Hassan Pushes Lawmakers for Expansion of 'Net Metering' Program

Gov. Maggie Hassan urged lawmakers to expand a state program that rewards homeowners and businesses using solar panels to generate electricity, despite protests from utilities that the program is being paid for by non-solar customers.

Candidates, Take Note: New Hampshire Voters Strongly Support State Clean Energy Policies

Recent surveys offer revealing insights into voter attitudes in the northeast U.S. toward state policies that expand the use of clean and renewable energy. There is also intriguing data about voters’ willingness to pay for those policies. In the context of state elections coming in November, polling results in these northeastern states indicate that substantial majorities of these voters support strong renewable energy policies and are willing to pay even more to advance them than they are today. These results have important political implications for state-level candidates and policy-makers in the northeast and possibly across the country.

New Hampshire’s Renewable Energy Future

The state is at a crossroads when it comes to how we power our businesses and heat our homes.

As we have related in previous articles, New Hampshire businesses and institutions are at a disadvantage compared to those in neighboring states when it comes to energy.

Our location is a challenge because we are far away from traditional energy sources like oil, coal and natural gas. At the same time, the state has been slow to implement energy policies promoting renewable solutions.

New rules could boost New England renewable power

New England is decidedly short on coal mines and oil wells, but electricity grid watchers say a recent federal order could help the region finally unlock the power in the energy sources it does have.

A federal order issued last fall is intended to make it easier to construct transmission lines, costly and controversial projects that are notoriously tough to build.

New Hampshire: What are the implications of FERC's new ruling on interstate transmission for hydropower development?

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued Order No. 1000 on July 21. The order amends FERC's requirements for interstate electric transmission companies to allocate the costs of transmission planning and developments to their customers. This is a big step for transmission projects and planning and the effect it will have on renewable energy projects, especially hydroelectric developments, could be positive.

What is Order 1000?

NH battle over GHG emissions continues

In a sign of the significant political shift at the State House, three Republican-backed bills filed this legislative session would repeal or significantly alter three major renewable energy initiatives the former Democratic-controlled Legislature passed beginning in 2007.

NH bill hearing turns into power project session

A legislative hearing Tuesday on a bill that proposed changes to New Hampshire's renewable energy law morphed into a public information session about a project that would carry hydroelectric power from Canada to New England.

Opponents to the Northern Pass Project, many of them from New Hampshire's North Country, traveled by bus to Concord and held a news conference, then crowded into a House committee hearing room to discuss their concerns about the bill.

NH Senate OKs big jump in net metering law

The New Hampshire Senate quietly voted to open the door for businesses to use renewable energy and sell the excess to their utility. 

House Bill 1353 increases the limits of the state’s three-year-old net metering law tenfold, opening up a law mainly aimed at homeowners and small businesses to much larger companies.  Under the net metering law, the consumer who generates his or her electricity can essentially run the meter backwards. Thus, during peak hours, the consumer not only saves electricity, but can actually sell it back to the utility. At the end of the month, any excess amount generated can be deducted from future bills, or they can even request that the utility send them a check.

The current law, however, limits the size of generators to 100 kilowatts.The new law allows one-megawatt generators, enough to supply about 200 homes, or a large supermarket or a small factory with electricity.

Currently, those who build small power plants usually need to negotiate a contract with a utility to sell them the energy. Theoretically, under the net metering law, no negotiation is necessary. Just stick up your wind turbine, or spread out your array, and if you generate more electricity than you use in a given month, your utility cuts you a check or gives you a rebate.

Source: http://bit.ly/cYweTN