ADVOCACY ALERT: NH Legislature considering bill to eliminate the Site Evaluation Committee

Matt Leahy | March 3, 2023
Tags:
Advocacy
View of the NH capitol from the Conservation Center in East Concord

View of the NH capitol from the Conservation Center in East Concord.

House Bill 609  would significantly change New Hampshire’s law for the siting of large-scale energy projects. The bill proposes to eliminate the Site Evaluation Committee (SEC) and move the decision-making authority for siting large-scale energy facilities to the NH Public Utilities Commission.

If passed, it would undo much of the work of the broad stakeholder process in 2014 and 2015 that led to significant improvements in the law and rules that governed the SEC.

Most concerning, it would reduce the public’s ability to engage in the siting review process.

The House of Representatives Science, Technology and Energy Committee will hold a hearing on Tuesday, March 7 at 9 AM on the bill.