Energy + Environment
Nomination of Sarah Bloom Raskin for Fed seat in doubt after Manchin opposition
U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin III will not support one of President Joe Biden’s picks to sit on the Federal Reserve Board, Sarah Bloom Raskin of Maryland, Manchin said Monday. The announcement casts serious doubt on the chances of Senate confirmation for Raskin, who was a Fed governor from 2010 to 2014 and deputy Treasury secretary […]
Electric vehicle advocates see a major roadblock ahead: a lack of charging stations
There may not be many electric vehicles in the state right now, but clean energy advocates expect that to change soon – and drastically. That’s why they say electric charging networks need to be built out now, and with an influx of federal money, plus the Volkswagen settlement and some utility investment, here’s what we […]
State farm financing expert tapped to help USDA address discrimination issues
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has work to do when it comes to equity. That work will be taken up by a new commission that was formed in February and will provide recommendations to the department about how to address past discrimination and better serve minority farmers moving forward. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said the […]
PUC gives green light for data platform to move ahead
The Public Utilities Commission issued an order on Wednesday allowing a statewide energy data platform to move forward, a decision culminating a two-year process. Proponents say the platform will make essential energy data available to ratepayers around the state and open the door to energy projects requiring this information, and that it will be instrumental […]
A community divided by a derelict dam
The town of Durham is divided over the fate of the historic Mill Pond Dam, as residents and environmental organizations pushing for its removal have met with resistance from a group intent on its preservation. After the town council voted, 7-2, in favor of removing the dam in September, proponents of keeping it gathered around […]
House committee recommends rejection of climate provision
A bill instructing the Public Utilities Commission to take climate change into account when setting electric rates failed to gain the support of the House Science, Technology, and Energy Committee in a vote on Monday. The committee voted, 12-10, in favor of killing House Bill 1250, a recommendation that will go before the full House […]
What a new law on energy efficiency means for New Hampshire
On Thursday, Gov. Chris Sununu signed a new law setting a course for the future of state energy efficiency programs run through NHSaves. House Bill 549 was rushed through the legislative process after a November decision from the Public Utilities Commission to cut the program’s funding while also denying a three-year consensus plan for unprecedented […]
Consumer advocate challenges decision on $5 million Clean Energy Fund
Years of inaction on a $5 million Clean Energy Fund culminated in a decision this month to enact only half of a consensus plan to spend the money, an outcome the consumer advocate is challenging. Funds have been available since 2018 but have not been deployed. Consumer Advocate Don Kreis called the decision unconscionable in […]
House to take up environmental issues on Wednesday
This article was updated at 6:42 a.m. on Feb. 16, 2022. A prior version of this article incorrectly stated when the state’s solid waste plan was updated. PFAS, landfills, water quality: The House will take up a host of bills addressing environmental issues facing the state when the full body convenes this Wednesday. Here are […]
UNH in space: Scientists chosen by NASA to lead $250 million HelioSwarm mission
UNH’s Space Science Center will lead a $250 million space mission after being selected by NASA, the university announced on Friday. The budget for this mission is the university’s largest to date, according to the announcement. Researchers will be charged with preparing nine spacecraft and managing the team of scientists that will study how the […]
‘Epic fail’: PUC decision on grid modernization sends advocates back to square one
The system responsible for delivering electricity to your door is old – dating back about a century. The architects of that system weren’t thinking about rooftop solar, electric cars, or the climate crisis, topics that advocates today say the grid must take into account. But the state’s seven-year foray into how to best update our […]
Utilities commission walks back energy efficiency decision, restoring NHSaves budgets to 2020-2021 levels
The Public Utilities Commission has restored funding for energy efficiency programs through NHSaves, allowing budgets to return to 2020-2021 levels, in a Thursday decision. According to the Thursday order, the commission changed course because of the consumer advocate’s recent appeal before the New Hampshire Supreme Court, saying it is “just and reasonable and in the […]