Photo: Justin Henry via Creative Commons 2.0
New Hampshire legislators are trying to kill energy efficiency measures that save Granite State families and businesses money on our electric bills. We need you to tell your legislators to VOTE NO to energy-efficiency killing House Bill 317.
Proponents of HB317 are calling the funding of energy efficiency an illegal tax, but that’s just an excuse for a no-good agenda to kill energy efficiency programs in the state.
Why would anyone want to kill energy efficiency? Beats me. Energy efficiency programs save everyone money, since we all get lower bills when our state’s share of grid and energy investments drops.
Funding Efficiency
Energy efficiency programs in New Hampshire are financed through several sources, one of which is a small, fraction of a dollar charge on electric bills (the System Benefits Charge) that was approved by legislators years ago. The moneys collected help fund programs for low-income customers as well as for anyone who wants to improve the livability and value of our homes, schools, and businesses. At the same time, these programs lower the cost of our energy supplies and reduce what we pay for grid investments. The small charge more than pays for itself because it lowers the rest of our electricity bills.
In August of last year, the state’s Public Utilities Commission approved a groundbreaking plan to scale up energy efficiency measures in New Hampshire – so that we can all save even more money while lowering our dependence on polluting fossil fuels. It’s common sense.
So Why Do Some Legislators Oppose Efficiency Programs?
Proponents of HB317 claim that the extra pennies we will each contribute to these new measures through the System Benefits Charge is an unconstitutional tax that requires legislative approval each and every time it gets charged. But, really, this is just legislative obstruction.
Don’t buy the rhetoric. The pennies increase to an existing line item on our electric bill isn’t the issue. The bill’s drafters have set their sites on killing energy efficiency altogether. Proponents of HB317 won’t come out and admit that they oppose energy efficiency, though, because they know that opposition to this money-saving program makes no sense for New Hampshire.
Take Action: Energy Efficiency is Good for New Hampshire
Energy efficiency lowers bills. It helps us avoid harmful projects like Northern Pass and the Kinder Morgan/NED natural gas pipeline. And it’s the quickest and cheapest way to fulfill Governor Sununu’s recent pledge to save New Hampshire families and businesses money on their electric bills. Even the big utilities think it’s crazy to kill these programs.
So please click here to tell your legislators to VOTE NO on HB317 – and to stop standing in the way of common sense for New Hampshire.
