Skip to main content

Is hydropower 'renewable' for NH?

Image
News Date
Body

The New Hampshire legislature is considering HB 143, a bill that would make large hydropower plants eligible for renewable energy subsidies.

Right now the state's Renewable Portfolio Standard requires utilities to buy a certain percentage of electricity from renewable sources, but large hydropower is not counted as renewable.  That is partly because hydropower generally does not need subsidies to succeed, and partly because large hydropower plants can disrupt the environment.

Rep. David Murotake (R-Nashua), the primary sponsor of HB 143, says his bill will lower electricity rates because hydropower is readily available and relatively cheap.

Sen. Martha Fuller Clark (D-Portsmouth) opposes the bill.  She says that hydropower would take subsidies away from other renewable energy sources that need help to grow - and the state needs those renewable sources to diversify its energy supply.

Comments

Login or register to post comments

Thank you to our sponsors and donors