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Site Last Updated March 14, 2008
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Community Energy Planning Additional Resources for Communities |
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Other Resources & Funding for Communities The resources in the following list are described in further detail below. Click the link in the bullet list for additional information and a weblink. For further information on community energy planning, please contact Julie LaBranche at 603-778-0885 or email her at jlabranche.
The state of New Hampshire has developed several programs aimed at addressing the energy and climate change concerns. In 2002, the Governor’s Office of Energy and Community Services, now known as the Office of Energy and Planning, drafted the 10 year State Energy Plan. It identified the concerns of a growing population, increasing energy demand and the need for affordable energy to expand the economy. The plan addresses electricity and natural gas while excluding deliverable fuels such as home heating oil (No. 2), propane and kerosene despite them being noted as important. The single most cost effective means identified in the plan to address energy concerns is to improve energy efficiency. It also serves as a great guide for municipalities to follow in addressing their energy concerns. New Hampshire Guidebook on Energy Efficiency and Climate Change The “New Hampshire Guidebook on Energy Efficiency and Climate Change” was developed in spring 2007 by the NH Carbon Coalition, a nonpartisan organization focusing on global warming solutions. The plan is largely based off of the Vermont Energy and Climate Action’s excellent Town Energy and Climate Action Guide. This first volume serves as an aid to fledgling energy committees to help them get started. The steps include:
Subsequent volumes of the guidebook will focus in greater detail on energy audit software, establishing reduction targets, highlight successful projects, identify funding sources, and discuss the technological changes. ICLEI- Local Governments for Sustainability is the foremost organization offering structured programs that can be customized to individual community needs. They offer guidance for communities to inventory current energy use, adopt an emissions reduction target, draft an action plan, implement the plan and evaluate the progress. Their Clean Air and Climate Protection (CACP) software tool is useful to conduct a community wide energy audit. It reviews transportation, residential, commercial, and industrial energy use. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) offers municipal services through their Energy Star Challenge. Their focus is on the energy consumption of buildings and they have developed the Portfolio Manager software package to conduct energy audit. The software assigns buildings into one of five classes, analyzes historical energy use and normalizes the data to allow buildings to be benchmarked or compared to one another. Through their Energy Star Community Challenge, communities can sign on to the campaign to reduce the energy consumption by 10%. The EPA Region 1 offices in Boston are coordinating the community programs and as of fall 2007, four New Hampshire communities including Dover, Rochester, Somersworth and Nashua have signed onto the program along with the NH state government. RETSCREEN is a Canadian software package that also analyses the energy use of buildings. It is a simple to use excel spreadsheet format which differs from the EPA Portfolio Manager by offering cost analysis associated to system improvements. The Sierra Club has adjusted their focus towards combating global warming. Through this change they have created the Cool Cities Campaign. Municipalities who adopt the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement can become members of Cool Cities. The campaign provides guidance on what municipalities and residents can do to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. US Mayors Climate Protection Agreement US Mayors Climate Protection Agreement began in 2005 by Mayor Greg Nickels of Seattle Washington. The mayor urged mayors from around the country to take local action to reduce global warming pollution. Since 2005, over 680 mayors representing 3 provinces and all of the 50 states have signed on to the agreement. The agreement has spurred the US Mayors Climate Center in 2007 to oversee the coordination of ICLEI with the Agreement and municipalities who have adopted the agreement. In New Hampshire the cities who have adopted the resolution include Dover, Hanover, Keene, Manchester, Nashua, Portsmouth and Rochester. Internet portal to facilitate the interaction between Local Energy Committees across New Hampshire. Website is Wiki based and Local Energy Committees are encouraged to update information on the website pertaining to their committees. Website address is www.nhenergy.org. Clean Air - Cool Planet, a non profit organization based in Portsmouth New Hampshire, has created a community program to assist municipalities to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. One of the highlights of their program is the Community Toolkit. The toolkit is a conglomeration of over 30 success stories of municipalities taking action. Highlighted programs include community owned wind turbines, performance contracting experiences, LED streetlights, expanded alternative transportation, and pay as you throw waste management solutions. They offer communities valuable resources to enable communities to duplicate the successful experiences of others. In 1993, the New Hampshire legislature created RSA 21-I:19-d which allows a municipality to sign a performance contract with an energy service company (ESCO). A performance contract allows costs of energy efficient upgrades to be financed through the ESCO and paid off over time through the energy savings. There is no upfront capital costs associated to the town for such programs. Performance contracts also protect municipalities by requiring the ESCO to meet a certain reduction of energy use. If this level is not reached, the ESCO is required to pay the difference in the energy bill. It is a win-win situation allowing municipalities to become more energy efficient, reduce their energy costs and protect itself from increase costs. New Hampshire RSA 72:61-72 permits municipalities to offer a Property Tax Exemption on solar, wind, and woodheating systems. These systems include solar hot water, solar photovoltaic, wind turbine or central woodheating systems (not stovetop or woodstoves). Sixty two cities and towns in New Hampshire have passed an article or resolution permitting the exemption within their locality. To find out if your community participates, please refer to the NH Office of Energy and Planning’s Renewable Energy Program. Epping NH Green Building Ordinance In 2007, the town of Epping New Hampshire became the first municipality in the state to pass an ordinance often referred to as a Green Building Ordinance. It established a requirement for nonresidential development to be constructed in a manner that increase energy efficiency and utilizes renewable energy. It was largely based off of the NH Office of Energy and Planning’s energy efficiency model ordinance and the US Green Building Council’s LEED certification criteria. New Hampshire’s electric industry functions underneath a deregulated market. This allows the commodity of electricity to be separated from the regulated transmission and distribution services. RSA 53-E allows for residents, business and municipalities to aggregate their electric load together to form a Community Choice Aggregate (CCA). A CCA is a regional entity formed through the legislative body of a municipality, whose purpose is to offer energy services to its members. The energy services offered through such an entity include: 1. Competitive Purchasing of Electricity: Through aggregating the electric load of its members, the CCA can competitively bid for electricity to help stabilize and lower electric costs. 2. Replace a cost-based power monopoly with competitive, fixed rates. Whereas PSNH can change its rates twice a year, an electric service provider (ESP) can commit to a structured rate that is more predictable. 3. Energy Portfolios that manage price and risk. Diversification of energy sources, with a mix of renewable supplies, is protection from energy price shocks; 4. Financing and Ownership of local energy resources. Low-interest bonds that finance clean, efficient electric generation yield significant long-term cost savings. Communities would not need to form a municipal light utility to develop renewable energy projects over 100 kilowatts. 5. Development of local energy efficiency programs. Increasing energy efficiency lowers energy costs, and is a proven, effective strategy for economic growth. CCA would fill void missed through the SBC funds. 6. Implementing environmental goals. CCA is a tool for local governments to change their “ecological footprint” on a larger scale than is possible under conventional policy options. To date, municipalities have aggregated their loads internal but no multi-jurisdictional CCA has been formed in the New Hampshire. NH Partnership for High Performance Schools The NH Partnership for High Performance Schools is an initiative within the Jordan Institute whose mission is to enhance the health of people and the environment in ways that make economic sense. The Partnership strives to improve energy efficiency of public schools in the state to increase attendance, improve teacher satisfaction and retention, and reduce operating costs, liability exposure and environmental impacts. With 70% of the NH public schools over 36 years old, many communities can utilize the services of the organization as they build new facilities and retrofit older ones. The NH Carbon Challenge began in 2006 with a purpose to help individual residents reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Community Energy Programs can utilize their materials, available via internet download, to create a residential campaign. They also have a great speaker series that can help educate the community on what they can do to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
FUNDING SOURCES In 2002, the Public Utility Commission began the Systems Benefit Charge (SBC) on electric bills. The SBC is a use based charge on electric bills which funds two energy efficiency programs which are run through the local utilities. The two programs are the Low Income Assistance Program aimed at subsidizing cost for eligible households and Energy Efficiency Programs for residential and commercial customers. They brand their programs underneath the NH Saves name. One of the more notable programs for municipalities is the Smart Start program offered through PSNH and Large Business Services program by Unitil. These programs allow municipalities to upgrade electric lighting to more efficient technology and pay for the upgrades over time through the energy savings. Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy (DSIRE) DSIRE is a state by state collection of financial incentives and rules/regulations pertinent to renewable energy projects. It lists some of the programs highlighted above such as the property tax exemption and the utility programs, but in greater detail. Additionally, topics regarding NH Renewable Portfolio Standard and US Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuels which are not included in the Community Tools, are listed on the DSIRE website. USDA High Energy Cost Grant Program The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) offers annual grants between $75,000 and $5 million through their High Energy Cost Grant Program. The funding began in 2001 and has gone through four rounds of disbursement. It is open to a wide range of applicants including individual residents and municipalities. The grant is able to pay up to 100% of the costs of the project. Past projects include transmission and distribution upgrades for rural areas but in FY07 there has been an increase level of renewable energy and energy efficiency projects. New England Grassroots Environmental Fund The New England Grassroots Environmental Fund is a nonprofit organization helping communities with grassroots environmental initiatives by offering small grants to fund such projects. In the past these projects have included maps for conservation lands, creation of urban gardens and municipal energy efficiency programs. The latter of the three is a relatively knew undertaking and the Fund is encouraging energy committees to seek funding to help in their pursuits. In 2007, the state legislature passed a Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) bill and it was subsequently signed by Governor Lynch. The RPS requires a certain percentage of renewable energy be purchase by electric supply companies. It also created a Renewable Energy Fund. Funds generated by the Renewable Energy Fund are earmarked for the expansion of renewable energy projects within the state. Back to Community Energy Planning Main Page For further information on Community Energy Planning, please contact RPC Senior Planner Julie LaBranche at 603-778-0885 or email her at jlabranche.
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