New Hampshire Senate votes to continue support for renewable energy
The New Hampshire state Senate voted 20-4 today against a moratorium on new wind energy projects in the state.
The decision allows communities in New Hampshire to continue to develop cost-effective, environmentally friendly wind farms.
Wind energy and related activities have created nearly 1,000 jobs in New Hampshire and provide revenues for local towns, school districts and the state's general fund. Wind energy projects benefit many landowners in New Hampshire, including those who lease land for turbines and can continue to use 98 percent of their land for other purposes, including farming, logging, hunting and snowmobiling.
Wind energy has also helped lower the cost of energy for consumers in New Hampshire and across New England. In a January 2013 Independent System Operator-New England (ISO-NE) report, New England reported a 26 percent drop in average wholesale prices since 2003.
The same report showed that increasing wind from the current 892 MW to the 3,926 MW of wind in the development queue (close to the collective 2021 New England Renewable Portfolio Standard targets), would cut energy expenses by $1 billion a year.
