Fossil fuels would count as “green energy” in New Hampshire under legislation sponsored by most Republicans on the state House energy committee.
H.B. 1455 would open any state subsidies for clean energy to fossil fuel generation that complies with federal air pollution regulations. The bill would require the state’s electricity mix to include “energy generated by hydrocarbons,” while adding new regulatory scrutiny to wind and solar power.
The bill has drawn opposition from the state’s largest utility, Eversource. Republican Gov. Kelly Ayotte’s administration, while officially neutral, has also signaled deep concerns.
Both said the legislation included requirements that would be impossible under the state’s regulatory structure. Unlike many states, New Hampshire has a system that gives state regulators very limited control over the state’s power sources.
