New Hampshire law seeks to expand solar energy

(The Center Square) – New Hampshire Republican Gov. Chris Sununu has signed a new law allowing the state’s consumers to tap into clean energy by joining community solar projects.

The law, approved by the state Legislature in the recently concluded session, will create a new program allowing low and moderate income households to participate in community solar projects. The changes will allow qualifying households to tie into solar energy programs and get credits for renewable energy usage without installing panels on their rooftops.

Under the new program, utilities will provide the state Department of Energy a list of customers who would qualify for low- and moderate-income community solar programs. The state will choose which households meet the criteria to enroll, and work with private developers to connect their projects to energy consumers who are willing to participate.

The initiative won praise from U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, who posted a statement on social media on Monday that the new program “will help middle and lower-income residents save on electricity costs by matching them with community solar projects.”

Last year, Sununu signed a bill increasing the state’s “net metering” cap, allowing communities to generate up to 5 megawatts of clean power to lower their energy costs and pass savings on to local consumers.

New Hampshire’s $431 million solar industry supports more than 55 businesses that include contractors, photovoltaic cell manufacturers and others, according to the Solar Energies Industry Association. The Granite State is ranked No. 40 in terms of solar generation, with nearly 27,000 homes powered by solar energy.

Despite that, New Hampshire has one of the lowest thresholds for expanding clean energy in the Northeast and has in the past been criticized for throttling down efforts to expand solar power.

Three years ago, Sununu vetoed a bill that would have required publicly regulated utilities to dramatically increase the amount of solar powers they use in their fuel mix.

At the time, Sununu criticized the plan as a “hand out” to solar developers, but Democratic lawmakers and environmentalists claimed he was caving into fossil fuel companies.

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