The Current State of Energy in New Hampshire

Business. I’m Fred Koch. I don’t have to tell you that electric rates are going up in New Hampshire, and energy prices in general are going up. But did you know that supply can be in a constant state of flux? Let’s look at the numbers first. Jehovah is the price. Utility rates in New Hampshire are $0.26. EVERSOURCE price 22.6. But they just ask for 20.2. Free, 22.2 cents. This is per kWh. and New Hampshire Electric Cooperative, $0.17. Now, the price. New Hampshire Petroleum Fuels. You can see oil, propane, kerosene. You can now see the price per gallon. Now supplying New Hampshire’s largest utility supply in the state of flux. That’s a quote from New Hampshire, a public television broadcaster in Boston, Public Radio, New Hampshire’s largest electric utility, Eversource told state regulators late last week, the week of November 7, The wholesale failure market may make it difficult for them to use their normal processes to secure enough energy for customers this winter. normal process. Joining me now in understanding the energy landscape in New Hampshire is Josh Elliott, Director of Policy and Programs for the New Department of Energy. welcome. Good morning. and SAM EVANS BROWN, Executive Director of Clean Energy New Hampshire. Welcome, Sam. Thank you for your hospitality. Josh, let’s start with the electricity price that was just displayed on the screen. Is there any chance of a price drop this winter, or can they go back up? Well, as we saw from the EVERSOURCE file late last week, they did drop a bit below winter here. In winter, that’s a good sign. Many of these are intrinsically linked to natural gas prices. So if we see natural gas prices go up and down, we’ll see electricity prices go down with it. Yes, I can’t. As you know, Rhode Island is the first state in the United States to pass a law requiring that the state’s electricity use be fully offset by renewable energy by 2033. In any measurable way are New Hampshire businesses and homeowners switching to renewable energy despite the lack of such laws in New Hampshire? In fact, if we’re talking in the green room before that, we’ve seen an absolute surge in interconnection requests from businesses and residents who are trying to install solar in their homes and on their buildings. Unfortunately, as far as bulk power is concerned, there are many homes and buildings that don’t have access to solar on their roofs. So we really have to think about how to roll out renewables at scale, and I think that’s going to bring about some policy changes in New Hampshire. Yes. I’ll ask you that question in a minute. Josh, let’s talk about supply. You know that EVERSOURCE, as you just mentioned, told the regulators about November, in November, told the regulators that they might not be able to get enough energy this winter. do you care about this Indeed. However, they will use a second process to try and source for their commercial industrial customers the last bit of energy they need. They also have the option to buy on the open market. As they mention in their quote, some of the normal processes are not as effective as they used to be. But I believe businesses and residents will get the power they need this winter, called base load, and they’re working hard to get yes, they’re working hard to procure power to meet their projected needs. Sandy, you’ve covered the energy market for HPR and now you’re tracking clean energy in New Hampshire, where electricity rates are higher than the national average in New Hampshire. Do you see any signs? Electricity tariffs will be on the legislative agenda at next year’s CONCORD. I think that’s absolutely the case. I think we’re going to see a lot of unlikely proposals that are recycled from Princeton over the past few years. In fact, what we’re hearing from CONCORD leadership is that they only expect bipartisan bills to move forward. I think there’s a lot of common sense, bipartisan thinking that can lead to lower energy prices and. Really, I think it comes down to the fact that the price of renewables has come down at an alarming rate in the past. Over the course of the last decade, when Maine shut off electricity a few years ago, they were bidding at a utility scale of $0.03 per kWh, literally the cheapest electricity in human history in the US. Yes. Josh, your department as a state agency, do you have anything you would like to introduce in the legislature, we don’t have a particular advocacy, or I think you might introduce a bill. Oh no. Any bills that the department supports are usually technical cleanup bills that aren’t very interesting to anyone. correct. I know. How the process works. Anyway, keep an eye on me. thanks. JOSH ELLIOTT, Director of Programs and Policy, New Hampshire Department of Energy. and SAM EVANS BROWN, Executive Director of Clean Energy New Hampshire. thanks. Thank you. If you missed a part of this newsletter, you can visit WMUR DOT COM.

NH Business: New Hampshire’s energy situation heads into winter

Host Fred Kocher joins Josh Elliot and Sam Evans-Brown to discuss the current state of energy in New Hampshire

Updated: Dec. 11, 2022 7:32AM ET

Fred Kocher, New Hampshire Business Host

Cold weather is looming, and many Granite Staters are bracing for rising energy costs as suppliers look to secure enough power to keep the lights on this winter. On the latest episode of NH Business, host Fred Kocher joins New Hampshire Department of Energy’s Policy and Planning and New Hampshire Clean Energy Executive Director Sam Evans-Brown with Josh Elliot, Director, to discuss the current state of energy in New Hampshire, and what needs to be done What to ensure sufficient energy this winter and in the future.

Manchester, New Hampshire —

With colder weather on the horizon, many Granite Staters are bracing for rising energy costs as suppliers look to secure enough energy to keep their lights on this winter.

On the latest episode of NH Business, host Fred Kocher joins Josh Elliot, Director of Policy and Programs, NH Department of Energy, and Sam Evans-Brown, Executive Director, NH Clean Energy, to discuss the current state of energy in New Hampshire and what needs to be done to Make sure to provide enough energy for this winter and the future.