Senate Adopts Bipartisan Biomass Energy Initiative to Preserve Jobs and Healthy Forests
May 23, 2019
Contact Name: Sara Persechino and Robert Collins
Phone: (603) 271-3479 – (603) 271-7587
Email: Sara.Persechino@leg.state.nh.us – Robert.Collins@leg.state.nh.us
Senate Adopts Bipartisan Biomass Energy Initiative to Preserve Jobs and Healthy Forests— Today the New Hampshire Senate passed HB 183. Current lawsuits regarding the 2018 passage of SB 365 threaten approximately a thousand jobs and an estimated $254 million dollars of annual economic benefit to the State. As amended, HB 183 allows biomass plants to get back on-line, providing 100 megawatts of energy to the state’s grid, assisting the forestry industry with a low-grade market for wood chips, and putting people back to work.
Following the vote, Senate Majority Leader Dan Feltes (D-Concord) and Senator Jeb Bradley (R-Wolfeboro) released the following statements.
“Consistent with recent case law, this amendment creates a “baseload renewable energy credit” to be sold to existing utilities, thus creating a mechanism that avoids the issues that gave rise to the ill-advised litigation,” explained Senate Majority Leader Dan Feltes(D-Concord). “I applaud the Senate on working together to stand up for the hard-working people of New Hampshire and promote “home-grown” renewable energy. We are focused on preserving jobs, protecting an annual economic benefit of $254 million dollars, and maintaining sustainable forest management.”
“As a result of the biomass lawsuit filed against legislative efforts in 2018, this new legislation was necessary to preserve up to 1,000 jobs in New Hampshire’s North Country,” said Senator Jeb Bradley (R-Wolfeboro). “Without this new legislation, biomass plants would be forced to close and workers across the state would lose their jobs. The biomass industry protects the health of the forests while preserving open space for ATV and snowmobile riders to take advantage of our vast trail system. It is critical that we keep the biomass plants open and our timber industry thriving to provide a diverse energy market with stable rates for years to come.”
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