NH PUC Defunded the Future of Energy Efficiency in the Granite State​

On Friday, November 12th, the NH Public Utilities Commission effectively defunded the future of energy efficiency in the Granite State.

Ensuring that this order does not take effect is the #1 priority of Clean Energy NH going forward.

What can you do?

1. Contact your state legislators: You can find the contact information for your representatives here, under the “Quick Links” at the top of the page. Send an email, a physical letter, or give them a call. A helpful list of talking points can be found below, but please let the message be your own.
2. Write a letter to the editor for your local paper. If it’s helpful, you can find a list of publications and how to submit to them here. A steady drip of these appeals will help ensure this issue remains front of mind for decision makers. Make sure to explain why this order negatively affects NH and why energy efficiency is good for the Granite State.
3. Support Clean Energy NH: If you aren’t a current member, please become a member and support our work. If you are a member, thank you! And, please consider making an additional contribution to our Giving Tuesday Fund drive. This may be an expensive fight, and we’ll need resources if we want to keep NH from backsliding.​​

Talking Points:

• Energy efficiency is the most cost-effective way for us to meet our energy needs. Saving a kilowatt hour by investing in better lighting, heating, or processes typically costs around half as much as building new power plants to supply rising demand. Investing in efficiency keeps electricity rates low for all Granite Staters, even those that don’t take part in the
• The PUC order directly contradicts the focus on energy efficiency in Governor Sununu’s 2018 update to the 10-year energy strategy.
• This order significantly and negatively impacts small businesses that offer energy efficiency services in NH. Over 10,0000 Granite Staters work in the energy efficiency sector, and some of those businesses have already announced they will have to lay workers off in response to the decision. This order will cause Granite Staters to lose their well-paying jobs with benefits. This order will shutter small, local businesses.
• This order rolls back years of progress on energy efficiency, ignoring the state’s energy savings goals and capping and reducing budgets.
• There is already overwhelming evidence in the record that the settlement agreement in this docket is just and reasonable, serves the public interest, and is cost-effective. The Commission’s efforts to ignore the well-established record of cost-effective energy efficiency programs in this docket is blatantly dismissive.
• This order strips away opportunities for the Granite State’s most vulnerable populations to take advantage of energy efficiency programs at little to no cost. Energy efficiency programs protect lives, keep homes warm, and reduce energy bills.
• This order disrupts and impairs the ability of NH’s large businesses to make sizable investments in their energy efficiency, which stimulates NH’s economy and cuts costs for large businesses.