[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6665815,"mediaKeyId","2344506-3b029f048734900e1bab6e3bba3f9f1e","parentId",2344506,"title","Senate hears bill to move electric assistance program to Department of Energy and permit higher SBC cap for low‑income benefits","audioSeconds",347,"startMs",2629000,"endMs",2976000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2344506-3b029f048734900e1bab6e3bba3f9f1e&start=2629&end=2976","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2344506-3b029f048734900e1bab6e3bba3f9f1e/thumbnail_2629000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6665815/New-Hampshire/Senate-hears-bill-to-move-electric-assistance-program-to-Department-of-Energy-and-permit-higher-SBC-cap-for-lowincome-benefits","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6665815-161373887f7e3ec2d900c2f0bde509eb/orig.mp4?Expires=1771206561&Signature=LrMyZ2tK~z9HHfgYoMNfGh9DctXFLXIy6raPnQ0BXXC0fVqO9I2OpThV9698kaRWw2A2tx7hl2Lt~7YP8ZMYr05HUTbLtuyYKOpSsGwLDZwYTfKn9fqssMhkLpEtMmIsf-tC5w3I0ulH3kFgbtiV1V1UmM7bWogQntKNHaCYcXM8DMtY4hQk3Tddf~KjYloD6oVC6laR4ZgNei29pArf1jetDs9R9HVkpS7EHzeRj48DYOZzvEZZzwNd5jNqkh7J0W22kYH2auKiZEuG1rJZ~kF3RWp98e8yNCZXLz4FKBxwTPwFNTsIlMcyZqitK~bvRAvS0zXliw~0Wg2HUD3YDQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","New Hampshire Legislature","date","2025-02-18T18:59:48.957Z","article","Sen. David Waters introduced Senate Bill 234 to transfer administration of the state’s Electric Assistance Program (EAP) to the Department of Energy and to place the program’s advisory body into statute. The measure would also set the low‑income portion of the system benefits charge (SBC) at a maximum of 2.0 mills per kilowatt hour (currently capped at 1.5 mills under statute and order processes).

Megan Stone, legislative liaison with the Department of Energy, said the department is neutral on SB 234 and would participate in an EAP advisory body if the legislature moves the program. Stone noted differences between SB 234 and a companion bill from Senator Avard and said the department preferred Avard’s approach for moving administration. Stone raised an operational concern: changing the program year from Oct. 1 to Nov. 1 could leave a one‑month gap in administrative budget authority for benefit caps and program administration.

Steve Tower, managing attorney with New Hampshire Legal Assistance and EAP advisory board member, testified in support. He described the advisory board’s consensus work and said the bill’s language allowing the advisory committee’s unanimous recommendations to be implemented by the department is intended to prevent well‑vetted changes from languishing.

Tower and other witnesses described EAP as solvent under current funding but noted spikes in energy costs previously put the program at risk, and that raising the SBC ceiling would give DOE flexibility to increase benefits or cover more participants if need rises. The bill also codifies the advisory board and transfers program administration functions that now sit under the Public Utilities Commission to DOE.

The Department of Energy echoed the neutrality position and recommended careful attention to the program‑year timing and to whether the SBC cap increase is appropriate; Stone said the department can work with the committee and sponsor to refine language.

The hearing closed with no committee action recorded.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Energy and Natural Resources (02/18/2025)","oneSentenceSummary","The committee heard testimony on SB 234 to move administration of the Electric Assistance Program (EAP) from the Public Utilities Commission to the Department of Energy and to set a 2.0‑mill ceiling for the low‑income portion of the system benefits charge.","taxTitle","Energy and Natural Resources, Senate , Committees\t, Legislative, New Hampshire","taxId",29507,"location","New Hampshire","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6665811,"Senate hearing on new landfill moratorium, incineration study and site‑specific setback rules draws broad testimony",382,2217000,1835000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2344506-3b029f048734900e1bab6e3bba3f9f1e&start=2217&end=1835","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2344506-3b029f048734900e1bab6e3bba3f9f1e/thumbnail_2217000.jpg","/articles/6665811/New-Hampshire/Senate-hearing-on-new-landfill-moratorium-incineration-study-and-sitespecific-setback-rules-draws-broad-testimony","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6665811-1445ff84f5d15c83e79cdc792baaddc1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771206561&Signature=Am~FNuUhxPW2XuPHZoojfjOpMDdLLmlC~P-23AUAOrg6mSlk5b4IhzjZidVwjaRFZo5Il7MrblMbgitddv8luEWPIUt2pmBAajO9DYytTy~WFQnQozhBe5tYOdWQq9dXg5jPi-k0EBmlRP8G33oBGUJs~uBjD9ryruxBgb9kMarC-RMnioDKEePScuW2Xih3Id-dmEdjjiMDJIxGna4z-wqN7G-hEknXlR1TXXXbv5UmtbBj8Q4ImAG5bl4hSxYxZPF0c~dOEwUuTm5KqKDiYto9C6uj4qtoM6BJgASSElVbyNd0TIXtQv1Un6l83kkVUjWUF8qJiJW7AwOCcm4gpw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senate Bill 226 would suspend acceptance of new landfill permit applications for a specified moratorium period and establish a committee to study the feasibility of large‑scale solid‑waste incineration and other alternatives. Senator Jonah O’Ryan Wheeler and Senator David Roche (Senate District 1) framed the bill as a pause to modernize siting rules and evaluate incineration and other disposal options.

Senator Roche told the committee the state needs to reassess landfill siting standards, wetlands setbacks and hydrogeologic protections and that the bill provides time for a careful evaluation. “The people of the North Country do not want to see a landfill on their pristine environment,” he said, stressing concerns about groundwater and surface‑water impacts.

Proponents — including municipal representatives and citizen groups such as North Country Alliance for Balanced Change — argued there is enough statewide capacity in existing landfills to cover a runway of several years and that proposed moratorium timing (the bill includes a multi‑year pause) would create breathing room to adopt more protective, science‑based siting standards. Speakers flagged PFAS and other leachate concerns and urged stronger, site‑specific evaluations of groundwater conductivity and plume travel time.

Opponents including business groups (Business & Industry Association) and industry representatives warned a long moratorium would delay legally permitted expansions and could raise disposal costs by forcing more out‑of‑state shipments. The business representative noted new DES landfill rules were readopted in December 2024 and urged the committee not to undercut the recently updated regulatory process.

Mike Wimsatt, director of the DES waste management division, testified the agency takes no position but raised technical drafting concerns: if applications are accepted but the agency is prohibited from reviewing them, administrative timelines in the Administrative Procedures Act could trigger an unintended deemed‑approved result; DES recommended clarifying language so applications are not deemed approved by inaction. Wimsatt also cautioned that prohibiting completeness reviews could produce multi‑year delays beyond the moratorium’s end because the agency would not be able to confirm application completeness while the moratorium was in effect.

Waste‑management operators and county officials described the largest landfill’s permitted capacity and said the facility has plans for expansion and depletion schedules intended to preserve in‑state disposal capacity. Witnesses said the largest facility accepted around 53–55% of New Hampshire municipal waste in recent years. Waste‑management and landfill operators said requiring a single maximum seepage velocity test site could unfairly disqualify otherwise suitable sites; they urged use of representative sampling and engineering options.

Senate Bill 227 would set statutory metrics for hydraulic conductivity and require subsurface investigations to determine whether a release could reach a surface water before it could be detected and remediated. Supporters said the statute should require conservative, science‑based setbacks (a five‑year travel time or a 3,000‑foot default radius was discussed in committee history) and clarified monitoring and testing protocols. Opponents said the proposed criteria could eliminate much of the state from consideration and urged more nuanced, site‑specific engineering approaches.

Both bills generated extensive public comment. Department staff and industry representatives urged careful drafting to avoid unintended consequences and to clarify how expansions of existing, permitted facilities would be treated. The committee closed the hearings with discussion of next steps and no recorded votes.","Two related bills — a proposed moratorium and incineration study (SB 226) and a statutory proposal to require conservative hydraulic conductivity and setback standards (SB 227) — drew lengthy testimony on landfill capacity, PFAS leachate, existing DES rule changes, and tradeoffs between prescriptive setbacks and site‑specific engineering.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6665820,"Senate hears bill to form energy reliability and large‑scale storage task force and to use renewable energy fund for consultants",277,1244000,1521000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2344506-3b029f048734900e1bab6e3bba3f9f1e&start=1244&end=1521","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2344506-3b029f048734900e1bab6e3bba3f9f1e/thumbnail_1244000.jpg","/articles/6665820/New-Hampshire/Senate-hears-bill-to-form-energy-reliability-and-largescale-storage-task-force-and-to-use-renewable-energy-fund-for-consultants","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6665820-0ccd2ddda94b9fe23eb7d837c4d24714/orig.mp4?Expires=1771206561&Signature=DRvOjdppijqGrDp1h0zlzDS1Wg-5VPTatphKYYXPMage1rTzY7vPS0ZUpuIocqdpjeiTdJlhUwiQlJRDsVpsPc-UM-eabgmspNfvGRpOGQXa1UqBJ5KdTbvILgAqyBFy3AsOp8kL53Q8n8a7Dwu2zfvnhm3JF4-Ra98ipvQfPiYY~VotJ7GTCfgg1~EV5YyjRDwM3hKobVU-InpuKrSFoKxxBHnG3ySn5QNoznHXZR1mrCMDx9VWxyZLE1Jk80aiEjPm9N78Y7-rI5Zbm69W8DtWS3lk7QFbSjf2ivyn32Rw4h7HiK32z2dqvpqIbkruqcTMvUQEKMr5nkhrV5qWpg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Sen. David Waters, District 4, introduced Senate Bill 233 to establish an energy reliability and large‑scale storage task force, saying New Hampshire faces “reliability shortages” as demand grows and dispatchable generation retires.

“We are starting to see the emergence of long duration storage technology,” Waters said, describing lithium‑ion batteries that typically provide two to four hours of storage, iron‑air systems that can reach about 10 hours, and new flow battery technologies that aim for multi‑day capability. The bill creates a new RSA chapter for storage, defines multiple duration classes and tasks a mixed public‑private panel to report back by December 1, 2025, under the current text.

Waters noted the bill appropriates $250,000 for consultants, and recommended the renewable energy fund as the source: “It’s hard to argue against this being a purpose that accords what the renewable energy fund is there for,” he said.

Industry witnesses emphasized urgency. James Andrews, chief executive officer of Granite Shore Power, said regionally the market is shifting toward greater winter peaks, natural‑gas constraints and higher electricity costs. “We are deficient in quick start dispatchable and storage resources,” Andrews said, urging proactive work to identify solutions before a reliability crisis.

Department of Energy legislative liaison Megan Stone said the department is neutral on SB 233 and would serve on the task force if the committee moves forward. Stone warned the committee that New Hampshire procurement could delay hiring a consultant for months; she recommended extending the report deadline if the committee wants meaningful external support. “Given the lengthy New Hampshire procurement and contracting process, it could take up to 6 months to get that consultant on board,” she said.

Other witnesses urged a mix of near‑term and longer‑term deliverables, including an interim report in December 2025 and a final analysis in mid‑2026. Witnesses also asked the task force to evaluate market mechanisms such as indexing storage credits and to examine interconnection constraints.

The hearing closed with no committee vote recorded; sponsors and industry representatives asked the committee to consider timing so the task force can produce actionable recommendations.","Senate Bill 233 would create an energy reliability and large‑scale storage task force to study long‑duration storage, interconnection, market incentives and pilot designs. Sponsors and industry witnesses urged a timely study; the bill designates $250,000 from the state renewable energy fund for consulting support.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6665825,"Senate committee hears testimony supporting bill to allow retail sale of bison, elk and red deer meat",142,284000,426000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2344506-3b029f048734900e1bab6e3bba3f9f1e&start=284&end=426","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2344506-3b029f048734900e1bab6e3bba3f9f1e/thumbnail_284000.jpg","/articles/6665825/New-Hampshire/Senate-committee-hears-testimony-supporting-bill-to-allow-retail-sale-of-bison-elk-and-red-deer-meat","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6665825-eefe4c4f0f7ea1ab533ba95f0d4868c2/orig.mp4?Expires=1771206561&Signature=lY0Q4J~xZyVD3EVFWPmsa-MLPuR~PSn1B2nGZpn8dF8i0UV0cEZYytvopvNb8bD28vMoe115dGWwHEbYjZof8POgF82mcoHnQVKV3KWCFG3AXjF0wUx1dDP9gKt3pms8Ll~BBfbVwlRNRIx1K6cMFvhrD0bWKdvVDl~REG40RQG6VG--uUa-93uekbaE5bRYWToTaocs3o-VQ2xHYiKps0ziS3ZG8sa-76Wlz1o0XM6bMGdmySAHnZLyo-8QA2IVYewZHgasSH-tSvkWs7W8ptUwkZX-3gba3nj0zwJaNdbfnH0SAcxbRISfPSyeBBNyjA7ghlY0NrWjnftiORyFdg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","For the record, I’m Senator Kevin Avar, District 12, sitting in for Senator Pearl, and I’m going to read SB 229, or introduce it anyway, and have him being a cosponsor on this bill as well,\" Senator Kevin Avar said, introducing the measure.

SB 229 would permit the retail sale of meat from bison, red deer (sometimes described in testimony as “red stag”) and elk and would remove a scheduled repeal of current provisions governing those sales. The sponsor described the bill as straightforward and said others would testify.

Nick Vales, owner of Riverdale Farm, told the committee he has raised bison for about 28 years and added elk about 8–10 years ago. “They’re like big goats,” Vales said, describing how the animals live “symbiotically” on his property and that they are “purely organically raised” with “no hormones.” Vales said he and other farmers currently send animals to a state inspection facility and sell to restaurants, and now want to sell packaged product through retail stores and co‑ops to increase consumer access.

Rob Johnson, policy director for the New Hampshire Farm Bureau, testified in support but did not take the witness chair. Johnson told the committee that restaurants currently note on their menus when game meat is being served: “It’s on the menu that it said is unexpected meat, so they are aware.”

Committee members asked about food‑safety risks and inspection. Michelle Roberge, bureau chief for public health protection at the Department of Health and Human Services, and Erica Davis, administrator for the Food Protection Section, joined the hearing to answer questions. Davis explained the state follows the 2017 federal food code for retail food safety and said the code includes “parameters for safe handling of all products, especially meat products.” She added that “game meat, which the federal food code defines red deer, elk and bison as, have specific parameters within the food code to address safe cooking instructions.”

Committee members also asked whether producers would still be inspected by state officials rather than by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Vales and others confirmed the animals are handled under state inspection; Vales said the meat is inspected but “it’s just not USDA.”

At the close of the hearing Senator Avar, speaking as prime sponsor, said he supported moving the bill forward and that it could help farmers confronted with limited federally inspected processing capacity in parts of the state.

The committee moved SB 229 to the next step by voice/consent. The hearing record contains no roll‑call tally; members approved the motion by voice vote.","Senators heard proprietors, the New Hampshire Farm Bureau and public health officials discuss Senate Bill 229, which would allow sale of bison, elk and red deer meat at retail and remove a prospective repeal of related sale provisions. Testimony focused on farm practices, inspection regimes and consumer safety protocols.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Senate hears bill to move electric assistance program to Department of Energy and permit higher SBC cap for low‑income benefits

Senate hearing on new landfill moratorium, incineration study and site‑specific setback rules draws broad testimony

Senate hears bill to form energy reliability and large‑scale storage task force and to use renewable energy fund for consultants

Senate committee hears testimony supporting bill to allow retail sale of bison, elk and red deer meat