Energy + Environment
Seabrook watchdog creates radiation monitoring system to withstand extreme weather
The watchdog group C-10 has 19 devices monitoring radiation levels within a 10-mile radius of the Seabrook Station nuclear power plant. Those independently operated devices provide real-time information and trigger alerts if radiation reaches a dangerous level. But in 2018, a windstorm took those monitors offline for more than a day, leaving the region with […]
Replacing New Hampshire’s lead pipelines
A federal Oct. 2024 deadline requires all water providers to inventory their service lines containing lead. But state officials worry that small water providers will struggle to meet the deadline and are requesting funding to complete inventories on their behalf. That request will appear before lawmakers at the Joint Legislative Fiscal Committee Friday, with the […]
State’s new 10-year energy strategy focuses on addressing high costs
With energy costs spiking, the Department of Energy just released its state energy strategy, a document that sets state energy goals for the next 10 years and makes recommendations to policy makers about how to achieve them. Addressing the high cost of energy is listed as the top priority, with recommendations the state limit government […]
As aging farmers retire, lawmakers explore how to boost beginning producers
WASHINGTON — More than half of American farmers will reach retirement age in the next 10 years, but the steep price of entry to start a farm, along with rising input costs and volatile markets, make it tough for young and beginning farmers to take their places.“Farming is inherently a risky business, but in the […]
Increased oil cost drives up DOT paving projects by $1.3 million
The Executive Council approved $1.3 million in additional spending last week to cover increases in construction projects around the state due to the rising cost of fuel and asphalt. In its request for the funding – which spanned several contracts – the Department of Transportation said the increased cost of oil has driven up the […]
‘Already underwater’: A museum adapts to climate change to keep history above water
This article is the second installment of a two-part series about New Hampshire communities on the frontlines of climate change. Click here to read part 1. Water enters the buildings from above and below, buildings Rodney Rowland is charged with preserving. Climate change has made his job at the Strawbery Banke Museum more difficult, filling […]
Effects of climate change are already changing life on the Seacoast
This article is the first of a two-part series about New Hampshire communities on the frontlines of climate change. Part two will be published Monday, July 18. Those living on the New Hampshire Seacoast are intimately aware of the impacts of climate change. They’ve watched high tides draw closer over the years, flooding their streets […]
State to study whether municipalities can restrict what type of fuel is used for energy
Gov. Chris Sununu signed a bill Friday requiring the Department of Energy to complete a report on whether municipalities have the authority to restrict which fuels are used for energy. The report will determine if municipalities can use this kind of restriction to pursue net-zero or zero emissions targets, where the amount of greenhouse gas […]
With biodiversity declining, state efforts aim to monitor and protect endangered birds
It’s been around 20 years since the state last collected reliable data on the endangered northern harrier, a mid-sized raptor native to the state. Without an updated field survey, it’s unknown where they are breeding, how many of them there are, or in what regions they can be found. The state needs that information to […]
How to shop for cheaper electricity in New Hampshire
With some of the state’s utilities dramatically increasing their rates in August, ratepayers are free to shop for cheaper energy elsewhere. But most people aren’t taking advantage of that option. The state’s largest utility, Eversource, is one of the utilities whose rates will double, causing bills for a typical household to increase by 53 percent […]
A pair of new laws tackle cyanobacteria, water quality
Gov. Chris Sununu signed a pair of new laws addressing the state’s growing cyanobacteria problem last week. One requires the state to create a plan to address cyanobacteria and includes $30,000 in state funding to do so, while the other tightens regulations on a possible cause of cyanobacteria: septic systems. Before House Bill 1293, homeowners […]
Abnormally dry conditions spread across most of New Hampshire
Most of the state is now engulfed in abnormally dry conditions, which are expected to persist and potentially worsen in the coming weeks with above-average temperatures in the forecast. Precipitation has been down during both the spring and summer, one factor driving the dry conditions, according to Ted Diers, assistant director of the water division […]