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Tensions run high over future of energy facility siting in New Hampshire
Decisions regarding the permitting of new energy facilities could change hands in New Hampshire if lawmakers choose to dissolve the state’s current process and move responsibilities to the Public Utilities Commission. On Tuesday, Rep. Michael Vose, the prime sponsor of House Bill 609 and chairman of the House Science, Technology, and Energy Committee, controlled the hearing […]
State program offers rebates for PFAS remediation in private wells
Private wells in more than 120 New Hampshire communities have shown elevated amounts of PFAS chemicals. For those without an alternative water source or an offer for one, thousands of dollars for remediation is available through the state. The PFAS Rebate Program, run by the Department of Environmental Services, gives a one-time rebate to private […]
8 items in Sununu’s budget that didn’t make his address
Gov. Chris Sununu wants to do much more than give state employees a big pay raise, put millions into housing, build a new men’s prison, and double funding for “education freedom accounts” in the next two years. The so-called “budget trailer bill” released Wednesday evening runs more than 220 pages and gives a clearer picture […]
NH joins regional effort to strengthen emergency response to climate change, other crises
As interconnected crises related to climate change, infectious diseases, and human-made hazards are increasing in complexity and frequency, New Hampshire is joining a new regional response meant to bolster resilience and training. Announced this week, the Northeast Emergency Management Training and Education Center will include all six New England states, and is being led by […]
The second most forested state, NH may end its forester licensing program
When David Falkenham heard the state’s forester license is on the chopping block as part of budget talks in Concord, two words came to mind: “complete disaster.” What followed were thoughts about the timber harvest checks, ranging from $5,000 to $100,000, that he personally delivers to landowners as a forester licensed by the state of […]
New Hampshire may explore offshore wind workforce training center
The anticipated development of wind power off New Hampshire’s coastline will require a workforce likely numbering in the thousands. Though a project is still years away from becoming a reality, a group of senators is urging the state to start looking toward the future now, potentially through the creation of an offshore wind workforce training […]
In NH’s fourth-largest city, a rare expansion of protected forest
Not far from the old woolen mills, shoe factories, and more urban areas of industrial Rochester are swaths of undeveloped land abounding with vernal pools, sandy flats, and remnants of a small 19th-century granite quarry. Across the street from the Skyhaven Airport, a dirt lot leads to an entry point of the William H. Champlin […]
Living in the ‘Granite State’ means elevated risk for radon exposure, and in turn, lung cancer
New Hampshire may be celebrated as the “Granite State,” but the centuries-old nickname also bears caution. Because of the widespread presence of granite bedrock, the state has high percentages of homes with elevated radon levels. An invisible threat, the naturally occurring gas with no color, taste, or smell is the second leading cause of lung […]
ISO New England’s consumer group to hold public meeting in Portsmouth
ISO New England’s Consumer Liaison Group will hold a public meeting in New Hampshire next month. The Consumer Liaison Group meets four times a year with the goal of strengthening communication and understanding between the grid operator and electricity customers. On Thursday, March 30, it will welcome New Hampshire ratepayers to the AC Hotel in […]
Wanted: Mount Major volunteers for summer hiking season
The Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests is recruiting new volunteers for the upcoming summer hiking season at Mount Major. The society’s Volunteer Trailhead Outreach Program is modeled after successful stewardship programs, like the Trailhead Stewards Program in the White Mountain National Forest and the Adirondack Mountain Club’s Trailhead Stewardship Program. Volunteers engage […]
A few household tweaks could help people trim electric bills, energy auditor says
Ted Stiles asks people a trick question: “What is the greenest energy?” Wind or solar power, people enthusiastically proclaim. Maybe someone throws out hydropower. But the true answer, Stiles contends, is “the energy you’re not using at all.” An energy auditor and program manager at Yankee Thermal Imaging who works with the NHSaves program, Stiles […]
Default electric service rate ‘death spiral’: Will NH utilities change how they procure energy?
Susan Durling wants to see a thumb on the scale for consumers. That’s what the Hillsborough resident told state lawmakers last week as she testified in support of a bill that would change the default electric service rate paid by residents and businesses. “We have to plan our budgets, too, and buy groceries and buy […]