Jared Chicoine, commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Energy, told the Science, Technology and Energy Committee that the DOE was created in the 2021 budget and now administers the state’s energy policy and several programs that had previously been housed in the governor’s office. “We were created in the budget in 2021,” Chicoine said, explaining the department absorbed the former Office of Strategic Initiatives and now carries a portfolio that ranges from consumer assistance to statewide energy strategy.

Chicoine described the department’s four divisions — policy and programs, enforcement, regulatory, and administration — and said DOE has roughly “about 78 full time employees, about another dozen or so that are, full time temporary or or part time employees, so about 90 total.” The department also prepares the state’s 10-year energy strategy, attends proceedings before the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) and regional bodies, oversees assistance programs such as fuel assistance and weatherization, and carries statutory duties for pipeline and electrical safety enforcement.

Deputy Commissioner Chris Elms addressed regional electricity planning and the tension between New Hampshire’s policy priorities and those of neighboring New England states. Elms said ISO New England modeling for a clean-energy transition shows the region could require a very large build-out of wind, solar and batteries — tens of gigawatts — to meet long-term decarbonization goals, and some resources needed for reliability would run only rarely. "If it's possible to meet these goals, it's going to be expensive. It's gonna be incredibly inefficient, and, there are gonna be difficulties associated with meeting our reliability, needs," Elms said.

Elms and Chicoine also flagged rising transmission spending as an issue for ratepayers. The department described a class of transmission projects called “asset condition” projects — nominally maintenance and replacement — that have been expensive and are subject to limited oversight in regional cost allocation. Chicoine said New Hampshire ratepayers could bear roughly 10 percent of an estimated $5.4 billion of transmission spending projected through 2030.

Chicoine and staff also reviewed winter reliability: gas pipeline constraints during cold snaps can force regionwide reliance on oil-fired generators, raising prices and stressing stored fuel supply. The department said the current resource mix looks sufficient into the early 2030s under some scenarios, but warned that multiple factors — retirements, siting delays, and high costs for some clean-energy resources — complicate long-range planning.

The commissioners invited deeper technical follow-ups and one-on-one briefings for legislators. Staff said they will continue to participate in committee hearings and offer technical support on dockets and legislation.

The committee scheduled additional questions and more detailed briefings on specific topics including the Renewable Portfolio Standard, winter reliability modeling, and transmission cost oversight.