What's New
On January 23rd, the New Hampshire State Senate
approved a bill establishing minimum energy efficiency standards for new
products that include heating, lighting and refrigeration. Senate Bill 259 will
save consumers, businesses, schools and the state government over $200 million
by 2020 and will avoid over 35,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions, the
state’s largest contributor to global warming. The bill now moves to the House
where State Representatives will consider it.
Background
Virtually everywhere one looks in New Hampshire – from our homes to our
offices to our industrial facilities – there are opportunities to use energy
more efficiently through the application of new technologies and sensible
conservation practices. New Hampshire has the
opportunity this winter and spring to ensure that the state’s most common
appliances meet minimum efficiency standards – to cut energy costs and reduce
air pollution.
New Hampshire’s
energy use is rising almost twice as fast as our population – but that’s only
part of the problem. From the time a
power plant burns a ton of coal or splits an atom to the time we turn on the
lights, we lose two-thirds of that energy through generation, transmission, and
distribution. We can’t afford to make
the problem worse by wasting electricity once it reaches our homes and
businesses.
The good news is efficiency is the quickest, cheapest and
cleanest way to get smart about energy use and cut down on the waste. That’s why Environment New Hampshire is
advocating a bill that will modernize efficiency rules for common products sold
in New Hampshire. Stronger rules will mean everyday appliances
for heating, cooling and lighting will use less energy than they do now.
Even more importantly, this legislation will mean that we
reduce the demand on old, dirty power plants, curbing air pollution from their
smokestacks and avoiding the need for more power plants. There are even more advantages: by using less
energy New Hampshire consumers, businesses, schools and the state government
itself will save millions of dollars.
But changing the status quo isn’t easy, especially when
large, polluting industries and other special interests hold a lot of weight in
New Hampshire. That’s why we’re asking citizens to join in
calling state legislators to approve Appliance Efficiency Standards – Senate
Bill 259 – so we can begin reaping the benefits of smart energy solutions.
