10-year energy strategy for NH to be released by Sept. 1
Draft report predicts NH consumers to be energy independent by 2025
After a year of study, a 10-year energy strategy for New Hampshire is due to be completed.
Leaders not only looked at the present situation in the state, they looked at potential for renewable strategies to power homes, and businesses.
The draft report is available here: http://www.nh.gov/oep/energy/programs/documents/sb191-draft-strategy-2014-5-5.pdf.
The draft report envisions that by 2025 consumers will be empowered statewide to make choices that will help lower energy bills through self-reliance. This will make the state cleaner and more sustainable.
It states that residents will "no longer be limited by geographic location."
Produced by the firm Navigant for the state, the draft report indicates New Hampshire has a variety of energy efficiency programs to chose from but it can be confusing to consumers and rebates fluctuate. Incentives could be enhanced.
One of the most popular programs is the NH Saves program, offered by utilities. But those fluctuate in terms of available grants.
One key to enabling home energy independence is the development of solar photovoltaic or "PV" panels.
In 2013 the state had 2 megawatts of small-scale solar PV added, bringing to 7 MW the total. This had the state ranked 31st nationally for PV installations.
The draft report states that the potential is for the state to have 600 MW of residential/commercial PV but to do that the state "needs to revise its policies and programs in order to better overcome the market barriers that the technology currently faces, in particular, New Hampshire 's fluctuating incentive programs and (renewable energy credit) prices are failing to overcome the challenges of up-front costs..."
In addition to focusing on energy efficiency, it notes that as the cost of solar panels come down they become more economically accessible.
New Hampshire also has a statutory power to a offer a "tax neutral" exemption for a PV array, meaning your property tax would not go up by having solar.
While the price of solar continues to fall (and in 2012, for the third year in a row, prices in the US fell), much of that came from reduced manufacturing costs. But further reductions may require policy changes and improvements, according to industry analysts.
http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/can-u.s.-solar-pv-costs-keep-falling
The state's 10-year energy strategy is expected to be released no later than Sept. 1 and is pursuant to legislation, in Senate Bill 191 which passed in 2013.
It may lead to future legislation aimed at making New Hampshire homes and businesses more independent of the grid.