New Hampshire’s current energy status

BUSINESS. I’M FRED COKER. I DON’T HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT A NEW HAMPSHIRE ELECTRIC RATES ARE UP AND ENERGY PRICES IN GENERAL ARE UP. BUT DID YOU KNOW THAT SUPPLY MAY BE IN A STATE OF FLUX? LET’S LOOK AT NUMBERS FIRST. HERE IS PRICE. NEW HAMPSHIRE IS FOR UTILITIES TO $0.26 REQUESTED. EVERSOURCE PRICE 22.6. BUT THEY JUST REQUESTED 20.2. LIBERTY, 22.2 CENTS. AND THIS IS PER KILOWATT HOUR. AND NEW HAMPSHIRE ELECTRIC CO-OP, $0.17. NOW, PRICE. NEW HAMPSHIRE PETROLEUM FUELS. YOU CAN SEE OIL, PROPANE, KEROSENE. YOU CAN SEE THE PRICE PER GALLON RIGHT NOW. NOW, SUPPLY NEW HAMPSHIRE’S LARGEST UTILITY SUPPLY IN THE STATE OF FLUX. AND THIS IS A QUOTE FROM YOU ARE WHICH IS NEW HAMPSHIRE’S WHICH IS BOSTON’S RATHER A PUBLIC TELEVISION RADIO STATION, PUBLIC RADIO STATION, NEW HAMPSHIRE’S LARGEST ELECTRIC UTILITY, EVERSOURCE TOLD STATE REGULATORS LATE LAST WEEK, WEEK OF NOVEMBER 7TH, THAT FAILURES IN WHOLESALE ENERGY MARKETS COULD MAKE IT DIFFICULT FOR THEM TO SECURE ENOUGH ENERGY FOR CUSTOMERS THIS WINTER, USING THEIR NORMAL PROCESS. NORMAL PROCESS. KEY WORDS NOW WITH ME TO WALK US THROUGH THIS ENERGY SITUATION IN NEW HAMPSHIRE IS JOSH ELLIOTT, DIRECTOR OF POLICY AND PROGRAMS FOR THE NEW DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY. WELCOME. GOOD MORNING. AND SAM EVANS BROWN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF CLEAN ENERGY, NEW HAMPSHIRE. WELCOME, SAM. THANKS FOR HAVING ME. JOSH, LET’S START WITH THE PRICE OF ELECTRICITY THAT WE JUST PUT UP ON THE SCREEN. IS THERE A CHANCE FOR A PRICE REDUCTIONS THIS WINTER OR COULD THEY GO BACK UP? WELL, AS WE SAW FROM THE EVERSOURCE FILING LATE LAST WEEK, THEY DID COME IN A LITTLE BIT LOWER THAN THEY DID FOR THE WINTER HERE. WINTER SEASON, WHICH IS A GOOD SIGN. A LOT OF IT IS INTRINSICALLY TIED TO THE PRICE OF NATURAL GAS. SO AS WE SEE THE PRICE OF NATURAL GAS FLUCTUATE UP AND DOWN, WE’RE GOING TO SEE ELECTRICITY PRICES FALL ALONG WITH THEM. YEAH, I CAN’T. RHODE ISLAND IS THE FIRST STATE IN THE COUNTRY, AS YOU KNOW TO PASS A LAW REQUIRING THE STATE’S ELECTRICITY USE TO BE TOTALLY OFFSET BY RENEWABLES BY 2033. DESPITE THE LACK OF SUCH A LAW IN NEW HAMPSHIRE ARE NEW HAMPSHIRE BUSINESSES AND HOMEOWNERS TURNING TO RENEWABLES ANY MEASURABLE WAY? INDEED, AS WE WERE DISCUSSING IN THE GREEN ROOM JUST BEFORE THIS, WE HAVE SEEN AN ABSOLUTE SURGE IN INTERCONNECTION REQUESTS FOR BUSINESSES AND RESIDENTS IS TRYING TO GET SOLAR ON THEIR ON THEIR HOMES AND ON THE ON THEIR BUILDINGS. UNFORTUNATELY, THOUGH, IN TERMS OF BULK POWER, THERE ARE MANY HOMES AND BUILDINGS THAT CAN’T PUT SOLAR ON THEIR ROOFS. AND SO WE DO HAVE TO BE THINKING ABOUT HOW TO ROLL OUT RENEWABLES AT SCALE, WHICH I THINK WILL TAKE SOME POLICY CHANGES IN THE STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE. YEAH. AND I’M GOING TO ASK YOU ABOUT THAT IN A MINUTE. JOSH, LET’S TALK SUPPLY. YOU’RE AWARE OF EVERSOURCE, AS YOU JUST MENTIONED, TOLD REGULATORS IS ABOUT NOVEMBER, IN NOVEMBER, TOLD REGULATORS THEY MAY HAVE TROUBLE SECURING ENOUGH ENERGY THIS WINTER. DOES THAT CONCERN YOU? IT DOES. HOWEVER, THEY ARE GOING TO GO OUT WITH A SECOND PROCESS TO TRY TO PROCURE THAT LAST LITTLE BIT OF ENERGY THAT THEY NEED FOR THEIR COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL CUSTOMERS. THEY ALSO HAVE THE OPTION OF JUST BUYING IT ON THE OPEN MARKET. SO AS THEY MENTIONED IN THEIR QUOTE, SOME OF THE REGULAR PROCESSES AREN’T AREN’T QUITE WORKING AS THEY HAVE IN THE PAST. BUT I’M CONFIDENT THAT BUSINESSES AND RESIDENTS WILL HAVE THE ELECTRICITY THEY NEED THIS WINTER AND IS CALLED BASELOAD, AND THEY’RE TRYING TO GET YES, THEY’RE TRYING TO PROCURE ELECTRICITY IN ORDER TO MEET THEIR PROJECTED DEMANDS. SANDY, YOU’VE REPORTED ON ENERGY MARKETPLACE FOR AN HPR, AND NOW YOU TRACK IT FOR CLEAN ENERGY IN NEW HAMPSHIRE WITH ELECTRIC RATES HIGHER THAN THE NATIONAL AVERAGE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE. DO YOU SEE ANY SIGN OF THAT? THE ELECTRIC RATES WILL BE ON THE LEGISLATION AGENDA IN CONCORD THIS COMING YEAR. I THINK THAT THAT’S ABSOLUTELY GOING TO BE THE CASE. I THINK WE’LL SEE A LOT OF PROPOSALS THAT HAVE BEEN SORT OF PRINCETON RECYCLED FROM YEARS PAST THAT ARE UNLIKELY TO SEE SUCCESS. AND IN FACT, WHAT WE’VE HEARD FROM FROM THE LEADERSHIP IN CONCORD IS THAT THEY’RE ONLY EXPECTING BIPARTISAN BILLS TO ADVANCE. AND I THINK THERE ARE A LOT OF COMMON SENSE, BIPARTISAN IDEAS THAT THAT CAN RESULT IN LOWER ENERGY RATES AND. REALLY, I THINK WHAT IT COMES DOWN TO IS THAT THE PRICES OF RENEWABLE ENERGY HAVE DROPPED AT DRAMATIC PACES OVER THE PAST. OVER THE COURSE OF THE PAST TEN YEARS, TO THE POINT WHERE WHEN, WHEN MAINE PUT THEIR POWER OUT TO BID A COUPLE OF YEARS BACK, THEY GOT BIDS FOR $0.03 PER KILOWATT HOUR FOR UTILITY SCALE, WHICH IS GENUINELY SOME OF THE CHEAPEST ELECTRICITY IN HUMAN HISTORY. YEAH. DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING COMING UP IN THE LEGISLATURE, JOSH, FROM YOUR DEPARTMENT AS A STATE AGENCY, WE DON’T PARTICULARLY ADVOCATE OR I THOUGHT YOU MIGHT PUT A BILL IN. OH, NO. ANY OF THE ANY OF THE BILLS ARE SORT OF CHAMPIONED BY THE DEPARTMENT ARE USUALLY TECHNICAL CLEAN UP BILLS THAT ARE NOT VERY INTERESTING TO ANYBODY. RIGHT. I KNOW. HOW THAT PROCESS WORKS. ANYHOW, LET ME. THANKS. JOSH ELLIOTT, DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMS AND POLICY FOR THE NEW HAMPSHIRE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY. AND SAM EVANS BROWN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR CLEAN ENERGY IN NEW HAMPSHIRE. THANKS A LOT. THANK YOU. AND IF YOU MISSED PART OF THIS BRIEFING, YOU CAN GO TO WMUR DOT COM.

NH Enterprise: New Hampshire’s power standing heading into winter

Host Fred Kocher is joined by Josh Elliot and Sam Evans-Brown to debate New Hampshire’s present power state of affairs

Up to date: 7:32 AM EST Dec 11, 2022

Fred Kocher, NH Enterprise host

Chilly climate is approaching, and plenty of Granite Staters are getting ready for rising power prices as suppliers look to safe sufficient power sources to maintain the lights on this winter.On the most recent installment of NH Enterprise, host Fred Kocher is joined by Josh Elliot, Director of Coverage & Packages on the NH Division of Power, and Sam Evans-Brown, Govt Director for Clear Power NH, to debate New Hampshire’s present power state of affairs, and what must be executed to make sure sufficient power for this winter and the longer term.

MANCHESTER, N.H. —

Chilly climate is approaching, and plenty of Granite Staters are getting ready for rising power prices as suppliers look to safe sufficient power sources to maintain the lights on this winter.

On the most recent installment of NH Enterprise, host Fred Kocher is joined by Josh Elliot, Director of Coverage & Packages on the NH Division of Power, and Sam Evans-Brown, Govt Director for Clear Power NH, to debate New Hampshire’s present power state of affairs, and what must be executed to make sure sufficient power for this winter and the longer term.