2024 means renewed energy, environment debates for NH lawmakers

New Hampshire lawmakers will spend the next several months vetting and voting on more than 1,000 bills, many of which could impact the state’s course on climate change, the environment, and energy policy.

The Granite State has cemented itself as an outlier in New England in terms of climate action and planning. It remains the only state in the region without a statutory requirement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and lags behind in terms of renewable energy production. Over the last few years, lawmakers have found themselves at a standstill, generally unable to move forward with any substantial policy.

Meanwhile, New Hampshire experienced historically high energy prices during the last two years, spurring a laser focus from some lawmakers on bringing down costs for ratepayers and exploring more creative ways for utilities to procure energy.

Here’s a summary of a handful of energy- and environment-related bills the House and Senate will take up during the new legislative session.

Electric vehicles

The New Hampshire Department of Transportation is currently in the throes of planning for more than $17 million it will receive over the next five years from the federal National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program. And last year, the Department of Environmental Services held listening sessions about the state’s growing EV infrastructure, with a focus on residents and businesses in disadvantaged communities.

Despite the federal support, state lawmakers have not found harmony on electric vehicle legislation, and last year, House Republicans voted down an effort to evaluate the future of electric vehicles in the state.

Introduced this year, House Bill 1510, sponsored by Rep. Rebecca McWilliams, a Concord Democrat, would establish a commission to identify barriers to electric vehicle sales and use in the state, as well as solutions to address them.

House Bill 1472, also sponsored by McWilliams, would dedicate $3 million from energy efficiency funds to develop a pilot “cash on the hood” program for point-of-sale electric vehicle rebates to buyers.

Meanwhile, in the Senate, Hampstead Republican Sen. Regina Birdsell has introduced Senate Bill 430, which would create a commission to study the impacts of electric vehicles, lithium-ion batteries, and e-mobility devices “on first responder response, the environment, building and fire codes, and life and safety property protection.”

Old growth forests

With increasing concerns around continued climate change impacts, scientists are pointing to the importance of the state’s old growth forests, which are highly effective at capturing and storing carbon.

House Bill 1423, sponsored by Rep. Tony Caplan, a Henniker Democrat, would direct the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources to identify all old growth and mature forests on public land in the state. A fiscal note attached to the bill says more than 1.5 million acres of forestland are under public management in New Hampshire, assuming “under public management” means all federal, state, and locally owned land.

Landfills

After the last legislative session concluded without any meaningful action on landfills, despite numerous attempts, lawmakers have returned this year with several related bills.

Sponsored by Rep. Linda Massimilla, a Democrat from Littleton, House Bill 1132 would require those siting new solid waste landfills to identify brownfields within the state that could serve as their location – as part of the public benefit requirement analysis. Brownfields are defined as former polluted industrial or commercial sites.

Rep. Peter Bixby, a Dover Democrat, is sponsoring House Bill 1145, which would prohibit the private ownership of any new solid waste landfill.

House Bill 1620, sponsored by Rep. David Rochefort, a Littleton Republican, would suspend the approval of new landfill permits by the Department of Environmental Services until 2031.

Contamination

Lawmakers this session have filed several bills aimed at holding polluters accountable and ensuring those impacted have the ability to be compensated. Many of the bills come in response to the closure of Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics in Merrimack. The state has attributed widespread PFAS pollution in five communities to Saint-Gobain.

House Bill 1415, sponsored by Merrimack Democrat Rep. Nancy Murphy, seeks to address PFAS facility liability by holding them to federal regulations for closure, removal from service, or decommissioning.

House Bill 1089, sponsored by Rep. Suzanne Vail, a Nashua Democrat, would remove the statute of limitations for civil actions for damages resulting from PFAS exposure.

Not specific to PFAS, House Bill 1613 would establish a specific trust fund for money from soil and water contamination court settlements, and House Bill 1477 would direct the Department of Environmental Services to develop an environmental surety bond program for businesses that “pose a significant risk to the state’s natural resources.”

Nuclear energy

As New Hampshire debates a clean energy future, a handful of Republican lawmakers appear to be throwing their weight behind nuclear energy as a viable non-carbon emitting source. Seabrook Station is one of only two nuclear plants currently operating in New England.

House Bill 1465, sponsored by New Boston Republican Keith Ammon, would require the Department of Energy to coordinate continuing studies by various state agencies on the uses and development of nuclear energy, including advanced nuclear reactors.

Rep. Michael Vose, an Epping Republican, specifically names nuclear energy in House Bill 1644, which would require the DOE to initiate a proceeding and investigation of the benefits and considerations “regarding support for clean or non-carbon emitting power generation.”

Meanwhile, Democrat-sponsored House Bill 1612 would require the Department of Health and Human Services to create a network of real-time monitoring stations to gauge the “movement, dispersal, and re-concentration of radioactive materials,” and make the data available to the general public.

Utility performance incentive

Democrat-supported Senate Bill 320 would require the Public Utilities Commission to develop a performance incentive mechanism for the approval of electric and gas utility rates.

Sponsored by Sen. David Watters, of Dover, the bill would explore an alternative rate-setting mechanism of performance-based regulation, to incentivize utilities to improve their “operational efficiency, customer service, and overall performance, while also aligning their incentives with the broader goals of society.”

Coyote hunting

Among many animal-related bills filed this legislative session, two seek to change the way coyotes in the state are hunted.

Currently in New Hampshire, coyotes can be hunted year round, including at night from Jan. 1 to March 31, and there is no limit on the number that can be shot or trapped. House Bill 1100 would prohibit the hunting of coyotes during certain months to coincide with coyote pup rearing, and Senate Bill 346 would prohibit the use of dogs while hunting coyotes.

This story was originally published by the New Hampshire Bulletin

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: 2024 means renewed energy, environment debates for NH lawmakers