Why I'm running for State Rep - Part 2
- Mary Beth Raven
- 5 days ago
- 2 min read
I am concerned that the Republican majority has a party agenda that they are trying to push through even if the general public does not want it.
I plan to provide several data points over the next few blog posts. Today I'll concentrate on this one: I believe that he Republican party is pushing the state to be overly reliant on fossil fuels perhaps because of all the money that the fossil fuel industry lobby gives to them.
This past session, Merrimack State Rep Jeanine Notter, along with 6 other Republicans, introduced HB 1455 - Relative to the criteria for reliable energy sources. The summary of that bill includes the following phrase:
requiring that energy used in New Hampshire be affordable, reliable, and include hydrocarbons.
Now, hydrocarbons are the primary components of fossil fuels like petroleum and natural gas. So what would that mean, if this bill were passed? Would it outlaw solar panels? Would it outlaw the electric heat pump that my husband and I installed last year? Would it mean we have to stop importing Hydro from Quebec? If so, to what end?
NH does not have any coal, oil or natural gas reserves. Passing such a bill would require the state to be MORE reliant on imports. This seems completely opposite to our state motto of "Live Free or Die." - I think we want to as self-sufficient as possible.
Why would anyone introduce such a bill? The public comments were:
6 in support and
373 in opposition.
Luckily, good sense prevailed and this bill was not passed. But many people spent a lot of time driving to Concord to testify to kill a bill that was clearly NOT in the best interest of the people of New Hampshire.