Bill requiring NH to meet RGGI emissions cap passesJun 6 - Garry Rayno The New Hampshire Union Leader, ManchesterThe state's electric generators will have to lower their fossil fuel emissions under a bill headed to the governor. The House on Wednesday agreed to changes the Senate made in House Bill 306, which lowers the regional emissions cap under the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, but does not make other major changes to the program. The House voted 207-131 to approve the revised bill, which would bring New Hampshire in line with the other eight states in the initiative the state joined in 2008. The representatives from the nine participating states agreed last year to the lower emissions limits. Gov. Maggie Hassan said she will sign the bill. "Governor Hassan is a strong supporter of the bipartisan RGGI program because it has helped create jobs and reduce energy costs, and she looks forward to signing into law this important measure to ensure that we maximize the benefits of the program for the people and businesses of New Hampshire," said Hassan's Communications Director Marc Goldberg. The bill was one of three the House dealt with Wednesday. Two others deal with the distribution of money raised in the carbon-allowance auctions. Currently, auction proceeds above $1 per allowance are rebated to electric customers, while the balance of the money funds core energy-efficiency programs run by the state's utilities, which includes programs for new construction, retrofitting existing structures, and rebate programs for selected lighting and appliances. The House approved Senate Bill 123, which changes the distribution of funds by allocating at least 15 percent of the RGGI money to low-income energy efficiency projects. And the bill allocates $2 million from the core energy program to be dedicated to municipality and local government energy-efficiency projects beginning. The House also agreed to changes the Senate made in House Bill 630, which also allocates 15 percent of the energy efficiency fund for low-income energy efficiency projects. For two years, lawmakers have fought over the RGGI program. While most lawmakers in the last term wanted major changes, former Gov. John Lynch did not, vetoing attempts to repeal the program. Last year, lawmakers agreed to shift money generated by the sale of allowances from individual energy-efficiency projects to the core-energy efficiency programs. |