BEC Minutes for Tuesday April 16, 2024 – Meeting at BACC 5:00-6:00 pm
In attendance: Sandra Bravo, Kathleen Bigford, Jenny Locke-Howley, Marlene Freyler, Susan Moss, Laura Ryder
Review and approval of March Minutes: NHSaves rebate was mistakenly reported as received in the March Meeting. The following amendment was approved: The NH Saves incentive payment for the Fire Station weatherization has not yet been received. The Town Administrator is in the process of submitting the required documentation for reimbursement.
- Community Power Update
- The Community Power Coalition of NH (Coalition) has announced that Bradford’s plan has been accepted and will launch in June along with another 14 NH towns.
- In advance of the switchover, a public information meeting for town residents will be held on May 10 at 6pm at BACC, as required by the PUC.
- The meeting date will be announced in the May Bradford Bridge, The Kearsarge Shopper, and the Intertown Record. An information letter from the Coalition to all residents will follow the meeting. The coalition will advertise the switchover with lawn signs, ads, and flyers.
- Town Hall Renovation Project – See Bradford Bridge for updates.
$19,426.33 received from NH Saves. Opening is slated for May.
- Municipal Weatherization Status
- Fire Station Update. The project has been completed. The Town Administrator submitted the required documentation to NHSaves for an anticipated rebate of $11,871.50.
- Presently, all NH Saves rebates go to the general fund, and voters approved warrant articles for these Energy Savings Measures (ESMs) knowing that this would be the case. We do not have any anticipated municipal energy savings projects for the immediate future that will offer a rebate. However, we discussed the possibility of future rebates being placed in a fund that would help cover future projects to advance the town’s stated energy goals as voted at Town Meeting in 2021.
- Solar Energy – No updates
- Heat Pumps – The Town approved Article Twenty-One: To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of Fifteen Thousand Dollars ($15,000.00) to fund the installation of a Heat Pump to provide heating and cooling for the office areas and meeting room at the Fire Station. The Chief has solicited updated proposals from local contractors.
- New Hampshire Network Update
Laura has provided us with an online document outlining various upcoming bills that effect energy policies in NH. Individuals are encouraged to pay attention and participate. See the New Hampshire Network address below under Legislative Updates. There is much clean energy legislation being proposed to both promote and detract from progress in reaching renewable energy goals for the state.
- Legislative Updates
- A good place to stay on top of NH legislative updates is through the https://www.newhampshirenetwork.org/NH-bills
- The BEC submitted a letter to Senator Howard Pearl, Chair of the NH Energy and Natural Resources Committee and to the other Committee members stating we support the adoption and enforcement of modern building energy codes in New Hampshire and ask that HB1059 be amended to include both the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) and Chapter 11 – Energy Efficiency of the 2021 International Residential Code (IRC).
Without the amendments Senator Shaheen has warned that NH may lose its eligibility for several federal funds. NH Healthcare Workers have also warned that without these amendments the outdated energy codes could increase air mold, particulates, and temperature extremes. Without the amendments, building will be less efficient, which would put more demand on our already overworked transmission grids. The amendments were approved by the NH House on April 10, 2024.
- Other bills impacting energy and the environment are also appended to this Agenda.
- BEC Public Outreach
- The April issue of the Bradford Bridge reported that residents approved the Bradford Community Power Aggregation Plan and summarized next steps.
- Proposed articles for May Bridge:
- Sandra will prepare an article summarizing the municipal weatherization projects completed at the Library, Highway Building, Fire Station and Town Hall resulting in NHSaves incentive payments of greater than $40,000.
- Jenny and Kathleen will put together the ad and info for the upcoming CPC public hearing.
- Other Items:
Marlene expressed kudos for the work of the BEC.
- Energy Funds for residents through the Inflation Reduction Act.
- We have reported several times on access to energy saving improvements for low and moderate income families, hoping that funds from the Federal Inflation Reduction Act would be ready to access later this year. These programs will eventually make significant funds available for weatherization, heat pumps, electrical upgrades, etc. The NH Department of Energy is administering the program. We will post more details as they become available or go to: https://www.energy.nh.gov/funding-opportunities/funding-opportunities-homeowners/home-electrification-and-appliance-rebates
- For projects that can’t wait, go to NHSaves to see if a rebate is available.
- Tax credits of up to 30% of the cost of some ESMs are currently available for taxpayers to recoup some of their costs. After much discussion on how this works, we realize we need to do some more research. We hope that we can get a CPA to come to the next meeting to explain how energy tax credits work.
- Conclude: Our next meeting will be May 21, 2024, 5-6pm – at BACC or Town Hall. Check the website!
April 8, 2024
Senator Howard Pearl, Chair
Senate Executive Departments and Administration
NH State House, Room 103
Concord, NH 03301
RE: HB1059, Relative to the State Building Code
Local Government Support for 2021 IECC Adoption for Commercial and Residential
Dear Chair Pearl and members of the Committee,
We, the undersigned members of the Bradford Energy Committee are writing to express our support for the adoption and enforcement of modern building energy codes in New Hampshire and ask that HB1059 be amended to include both the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) and Chapter 11 – Energy Efficiency of the 2021 International Residential Code (IRC).
We note that this 2021 edition of the building energy codes includes a manageable and cost-effective improvement in efficiency, and does not require that building be built to achieve a “net zero energy rating” as has been falsely claimed.
Failure to adopt the 2021 energy code would represent an unfair cost shift to renters, homeowners, and businesses that will use newly constructed buildings and facilities for decades and likely into the next century.
As stewards of our community’s well-being, we recognize the significant role that modern, energy-efficient building practices play in lowering energy costs, improving public health, and enhancing environmental quality. Supporting energy efficiency in residential, commercial, and municipal buildings aligns with local governments’ goals of fiscal responsibility, environmental stewardship, public health promotion, economic development, resilience, and community engagement.
As energy prices fluctuate, as we have seen the past two years across all fuels, the avoided-energy savings associated with the 2021 IECC will only continue to increase. Energy codes, therefore, provide energy and economic security to building occupants, as well as the state as a whole.
The 2021 IECC and 2021 IRC are consistent with traditional Yankee thrift and ingenuity, rooted in the values of resourcefulness, efficiency, and innovation commonly associated with New Hampshire and New England. For example:
- Resilience and Durability
Extreme cold weather events, a hallmark of New Hampshire winters–as we’ve just experienced this past week–can strain energy infrastructure and contribute to power outages and service disruptions. Highly efficient buildings can provide safe and comfortable shelter from extreme weather even during a power outage.
- Maximum Benefit with Minimal Costs
Yankee thrift emphasizes the efficient use of resources to achieve maximum value and benefit. Modern building energy codes prioritize energy efficiency by setting standards for the design, construction, and operation of buildings to minimize energy costs and maximize performance (e.g. comfort, health, low environmental impact).
- Resourcefulness and Innovation
Ingenuity is a hallmark of Yankee culture, emphasizing creativity, adaptability, and problem-solving skills to overcome challenges and achieve goals. Modern building energy codes encourage innovation by promoting the use of advanced technologies, materials, and construction practices that improve energy efficiency and performance. From high-performance insulation and windows to energy-efficient HVAC systems and renewable energy integration, builders and designers are encouraged to innovate and incorporate new solutions to meet energy code requirements while enhancing building performance and occupant comfort.
- Long-Term Value: Household and Community Benefits
Yankee thrift emphasizes the long-term value of investments and the importance of making decisions that yield lasting benefits. Energy-efficient buildings offer long-term value to homeowners, businesses, and communities by providing significant savings on energy costs over the lifespan of the building, while also improving comfort, indoor air quality, and resilience to changing environmental conditions. Further, efficient buildings can help reduce total electricity consumption demand and alleviate pressure on energy infrastructure during periods of high demand. This can result in significant reductions in distribution and transmission system upgrades, saving money for all energy consumers.
By investing in cost-effective energy efficiency through adoption of the 2021 IECC, we ensure the durability, affordability, and performance of New Hampshire homes, businesses, and community institutions.
Thank you for your attention to this critical issue.
Sincerely, the Bradford Energy Committee:
Sandra Beaton Bravo, Chair
Kathleen Bigford
Susan Reeder Moss
Laura Ryder
From Clean Energy NH
Immediate Action Required: Improve SB 391
On Monday afternoon, the House Science, Technology, and Energy committee will deliberate on an amendment to SB 391 before proceeding to an executive session (vote). This amendment has significant implications for those among you who have been adversely affected by interconnection delays — a hurdle that has stymied both households and businesses’ ability to control their own energy costs. We strongly encourage you to reach out directly to the members of the committee, advocating for the establishment of stringent deadlines for the completion and adoption of interconnection rules and standards. Such measures are essential to fostering a prompt, predictable, and cost-efficient interconnection process for customer generators. Your experiences and voices are powerful tools in ensuring that our legislators understand the importance of these deadlines.
Critical Senate ENR Hearings Set for Tuesday
The Senate Energy and Natural Resources committee will hold public hearings on four pivotal energy bills. We at CENH fully support two of these bills for their innovative approach to energy planning and community-scale projects, while we vehemently oppose the other two for their potential to undermine our clean energy progress broadly and energy efficiency, specifically.
- Integrated Distribution Planning
HB 1431 proposes a critical requirement for electric and gas utilities to submit detailed, long-term plans through an integrated distribution planning process. This legislation aims at providing a transparent, comprehensive evaluation of NH’s energy needs.
- Advancing Community-Scale Energy Projects
HB 1600 addresses existing policy shortcomings by facilitating the development of community-scale electric generation resources. It clearly establishes community power aggregations as “municipal hosts,” a move that could significantly accelerate the deployment of local energy solutions. This legislation aligns with our vision of bolstering local energy resilience and autonomy as well as lowering costs.
- Threats to NH’s Clean Energy Future
HB 1036 introduces uncertainty into our energy efficiency landscape by calling into question the long-standing cost-benefit analysis test that has governed the development of the offerings of NH Saves, the “Granite State Test.” The current test was developed an open, comprehensive, adjudicative process, and was put into statute by a bill that was approved unanimously on a bipartisan basis.
HB 1623 seeks to pivot our stated energy policy from a holistic standard that prioritizes access to affordable energy without compromising public and environmental health towards a narrow focus on “baseload” generation, a shift that threatens our ability to deploy clean, distributed, cost-effective clean energy solutions. This bill’s language concerning adherence to “market principles” with regard to energy efficiency offerings poses a direct threat to programs like NH Saves, since these efficiency programs are specifically intended to overcome market failures.
The success of our efforts at the State House, in many ways, hinges on your active participation. Whether it is by providing testimony, reaching out to committee members, or simply spreading the word, your involvement is impactful and appreciated. For those who wish to testify or require assistance in engaging with legislators, Clean Energy NH stands ready to support you.
You can sign in to support or oppose the House bills being heard by the Senate ENR committee by using the Senate’s Online Sign-In tool between now and the end of the day the hearing is scheduled for. Simply select the date of the hearing (April 16) and the committee. Repeat this process for as many of the bills you would like to weigh in on. Written testimony can be submitted to the full committee via email.