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New Hampshire to consider using more clean, renewable energy.

New Hampshire citizens have shown that they support clean power, and for good reason—it’s environmentally friendly and safe for public health. New Hampshire has the technology to harness cleaner, safer home-grown energy sources like wind, solar and clean bio-fuel. The good news is that our state is getting closer than ever to seeing even more clean power have the chance to develop in New Hampshire.

Unfortunately, for decades, fossil fuels and nuclear power have dominated New Hampshire’s energy picture. Today, more than half of New Hampshire’s electricity comes from nuclear power, and coal and gas make up most of the rest. “With supplies of traditional energy sources declining rapidly, investing in clean energy now means we are setting New Hampshire up for a cleaner, more secure energy future,” said Environment New Hampshire Advocate Erika Staaf.

In order to jumpstart a shift to clean energy in New Hampshire, state leaders will need to approve a Clean Energy Standard (also referred to as a Renewable Portfolio Standard or RPS). This spring, House and Senate members will make the decision as to how much clean energy is available to our state in the future and from what sources. Environment New Hampshire will push for a standard that requires at least 10 percent of our state’s electricity demand to be met by new clean, homegrown energy by 2018, and for only the very cleanest energy to be included.

What will this mean for New Hampshire? The potential rewards are immense; cleaner air and water, less reliance on the unstable market for fossil fuels and new jobs created in the state by local renewable energy projects. “A Clean Energy Standard that reduces dependence on coal and oil will make New Hampshire stronger, healthier and safer,” said Staaf. “Our proposed standard is a strong first step towards that future.”

With a lack of action at the federal level, states have recently been leading the way in passing Clean Energy Standards across the country, including all of the other New England states.

“As the so-called ‘tailpipe’ of the nation, now is the time for New Hampshire to take clean energy matters into its own hands and do the same—invest in a new energy future and enact a Clean Energy Standard,” said Staaf.