Challenges and Opportunities for

Renewable Energy in New HampshirePresented to the EESE Board, May 8, 2009

By Laura Richardson, co founder and Clay Mitchell, president

NHSEA Mission:

•Educate NH citizens about sustainable energy

•Advocate for favorable NH sustainable energy policies

NHSEA History:

• Statewide group• 501c3 non-profit organization• Founded in September 2003• NH Chapter of the Northeast

Sustainable Energy Association• Started by a handful of strangers• 2500+ in our database (250+ paid

members)

NHSEA Focus:

• Renewable Energy – Energy Efficiency – Green Buildings

• Positive, proactive, solutions oriented• Resource and Network for homeowners,

businesses, media, and policy makers • We don’t care what your motivator is or politics are• Role in policy is to advocate for our members and

shift toward RE – EE – GB • Mostly volunteer driven. Madeline McElaney is our

new paid Program and Outreach Coordinator

NHSEA Action:

• On-line NH-oriented Consumer’s Guide – www.nhsea.org

• Workshops – PV for Electricians – July• Other workshops to be announced• Movie Night – May 14, Concord, Kilowatt Ours• Membership Meeting – September 12, 2009• Green Buildings Open House – October 3, 2009• Home Energy Conference – November 21, 2009• We exhibit at selected conferences, fairs, and

festivals• We are available for targeted presentations

Opportunities

• NH has the resources – sun, wind, water, biomass

• NH has the sites – roof tops, ridges, rivers and other water ways, forests and fields

• NH has an educated and hardworking workforce, wanting to shift to green jobs

• And NHSEA thinks that we also have the will power, we just need to mobilize it.

Challenges:

Information:• General public seeks unbiased, non-sales

oriented information about renewable energy– Reality checks and reassurance– Questions about funding– Technical guidance and networking– Siting of systems– Dispelling myths and misinformation

• Trades people seek professional training• Policy makers seek insight and direction

Challenges:

Information:• Banks• Realtors• Appraisers• Assessors• Insurance

NHSEA Solutions:

Information:• Workshops• Home Energy Conference• Tour event – Green Buildings Open House• Consumer’s Guide• Legislative Committee• Speaking Engagements

Opportunities:

Information:• Expand outreach and education efforts

– Fund efforts to ramp up

• Media love these topics and interesting content– Partner with tv, radio, newspaper

• Internet• Social networking for content

Challenges:

Funding:• Financial Incentives for RE-EE-GB

– Some funding now available, but so much need

• Training costs for professionals• Value of investments for RE-EE-GB• Banks – realtors – appraisers – assessors -

insurance

Challenges:

Funding:Philosophical Change:

Priorities and expectations need to shift from cheapest immediate cost

to least expensive long-term cost.

NHSEA Solutions:Funding:• Grant from NHCF to pay for part-

time NHSEA staff, now building capacity to handle anticipated additional workload

NHSEA Solutions:Funding:• Financial Incentives becoming

available– RPS/re fund– RGGI/ghger fund– Federal Tax Credits– Renewable Energy Credits– Possibly American Recovery and

Reinvestment Act loans and grants

Opportunities:Funding:• Berkeley Model – connecting financial

investments to property, not people• QECBs and CREBs – creative bonding

tools• Power Purchase Agreements and Leasing• Federal Leadership – creative future

programming, incentives, and … disincentives for business as usual

• Understanding of the true costs of energy

Opportunities:

Funding:• It’s a great time to validate and prioritize

these investments.• We are a relatively wealthy state.• We have many renewable resources, but

they need to be maximized and targeted.• Policy needs to be more flexible,

proactive, and visionary to encourage expansion of RE.

Challenges:Ongoing:• Dispel myths and misinformation• Train and expand the workforce, sustainably• Growth of interest – a great problem to have

– Not just homeowners now– Interest and education is improving, leading to a

lot of new businesses with varied experience, ability, and perspective

– Bumpy learning curve– Limited resources

Challenges:

Scale and scope:• Fight the status quo / fossil fuel• Romanticization of these technologies• Banks – realtors – appraisers – assessors

– insurance – can be a very complicated and frustrating journey

RE is a natural partner with EE efforts, not an afterthought or

luxury.

Opportunities

Scale and scope:• Reach more people, save more

energy, increase mix of RE on the grid, safer and healthier homes and businesses

• Stabilize costs • Reduce and stabilize peak demand• Eliminate the need for new fossil-fuel

power stations…

Challenges:

VISION• Short term• Long term

Policy needs to remove constraints so that visionary entrepreneurs will consider NH

for their projects and businesses*We are losing this race.

NH Challenges:

One organization alone cannot solve everything

• Building the network broader, and not just NH-centric. National RE players are interested in what is happening in our state.

• Like distributed renewable energy solutions, we need to support distributed people solutions.

Opportunities:

Collaboration VisionAction

Synergy

Other grassroots efforts:

Plymouth Area Renewable Energy Initiative

• Motivator: Peak Oil• Where: Plymouth area; model built for duplication

elsewhere, PAREI model Tool Kit now available• Action: “Energy Raisers” for Solar Hot Water and some

PV, train and maximize volunteers to install systems and support each other

• Local Foods Initiative, with D Acres and local farmers• Collaborate with local small businesses, NHEC, and

PSU• Avoid legislative pursuits, focus on action and

community connection• 93 systems installed since 2006• www.plymouthenergy.org

Other grassroots efforts:

Local Energy Committees• Motivator: Community involvement and saving

money and energy• Focus: Throughout the state, coordinated by Clean

Air – Cool Planet• Action: XXX Towns now have energy committees;

conference on June XX. • NH legislature determined that LECs may now be

commissions, thus gaining credibility, access to funding, and other benefits

• www.cleanair-coolplanet.org

Other grassroots efforts:

EESE Board• Without a doubt, this collection of

thoughtful and motivated people can bring solutions, policy, and vision together, to help NH take giant steps forward.

One Case Study:

Goal: Stabilize energy costs for SAUSolution: Focus procurement on EE

and RE systemsFinancing: creative for NHChallenges: Education, net-metering,

financing, time, state incentive limitations.• Project is funded by savings – no

“appropriation” with performance guarantee (like CORE program)

Third Party Financing:Power Purchase Agreements & Service Contracts

Goal: Deploy larger systems to more willing hosts. Additional targeting for governments and non-profits.

Financing: Education and examples.Challenges: Non-appropriation

clauses, bank financing, project scale.

Solution: Instructional Project, Loan Guarantees and Legislation.

Third Party Financing:Municipal Financing in NH?

Goal: Deploy systems to whole town. Financing: Municipal/Private – 20 year.Challenges: Not clear.Opportunity: Solar as Property – Payment is

less than savings – net positive cash on day 1.

Solution: Collection as tax: • Reverse the exemption.• Service Fee (sewer & water).• Tax / Lien collection.

Thank you!

www.nhsea.org