The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC”) recently ruled that a statute requiring New Hampshire electric distribution companies to solicit power purchase proposals from certain wood-burning generating facilities is preempted by federal law. RSA 362-H was enacted in 2018 after the legislature overrode Governor Sununu’s veto of Senate Bill 365. The statute requires New Hampshire electric […]
NIMBY, or “Not in My Back Yard,” is a term used to describe opponents of renewable energy projects concerned about local impacts. But what happens when this local perspective conflicts with state policy favoring the development of renewable energy resources? A review of the legislation authorizing local land use control sheds light on how NIMBY […]
Imagine investing in a solar installation on your property, only to see it sitting in the shadow of your neighbor’s new house a few years later. As explained in an earlier blog post (Are you Considering Solar for Your Business), your neighbor’s property rights may affect your solar installation’s productivity. Luckily, there is a statute […]
New Hampshire, like the rest of the nation, is seeing increased deployment of distributed energy resources (DER). DER are electricity resources or controllable loads that are directly connected to the local distribution system (i.e., the poles and wires that deliver electricity to customers). These resources are typically smaller in scale than traditional generation facilities such […]
With the stroke of a pen, Governor Sununu recently signed Senate Bill 165, relative to net energy metering by low-moderate income community solar projects, into New Hampshire law. In a press release, the Governor stated: “I have long fought for low-income Granite Staters to receive the benefit of solar development across our state and am […]
Earlier this year, New Hampshire joined the rest of coastal New England in exploring offshore wind development when Governor Sununu requested the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) to establish “an intergovernmental offshore renewable energy task force for the State of New Hampshire.” New Hampshire has jurisdiction over ocean waters within three international nautical […]
Eversource is seeking approval from the New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission (PUC) for a proposed pilot program intended to provide opportunities for low and moderate income (LMI) customers to receive benefits from solar energy projects. The “Clean Innovation Community Solar” proposal is in response to a Commission order issued in 2017. The order directed regulated […]
Like many states, New Hampshire has a renewable portfolio standard (RPS) law that requires certain percentages of renewable generation be included in the mix of electricity provided to customers in the state. The percentages escalate over time. You may remember the phrase “25 by 25,” which means 25% renewable power by the year 2025. In […]
New Hampshire has filed two lawsuits against eight major chemical companies, including 3M and Dupont, to recover damages and costs resulting from production and sale of four different synthetic per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (“PFAS”) and related consumer products. The state is relying on its sovereign authorities to file the lawsuits on behalf of the public, […]
There is reason to be optimistic about the future of clean energy development in New Hampshire, especially when it comes to solar and offshore wind. Utilities are working with customers to create pilot programs for on-site battery storage fed by on-site solar panels. Manufacturing facilities are installing solar panels to power energy-intensive manufacturing operations, thereby […]