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New Hampshire is privileged to host the headquarters of several top law firms, and Clean Energy NH is even more privileged to have the very best of the best as members, including the law firm of Primmer, Piper, Eggleston, and Cramer (PPE&C). With offices in Manchester, Portsmouth, and Littleton as well as several offices in Vermont and Washington D.C., PPE&C’s team of attorneys is well-suited to serve clients in the renewable energy industry and beyond. PPE&C is a full-service law firm that can assist clients with virtually every business-related issue, including the oftentimes complex area of taxation. In fact, they been awarded “Best Tax Law Firm” for the past three years in a row in VT. Nicole Bodoh is a member of the taxation team, and she brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in both federal and state tax issues to assist her clients. “I enjoy working with a diverse group of clients, some of whom are local and some of whom aren’t based in the state,” says Nicole, who has been with the firm for six years and is licensed to practice in NH, VT, MA, and PA. “Our firm can assist businesses of all sizes with regulatory issues, corporate and governance issues, mergers and acquisitions…we do it all!” Nicole’s specialty is tax law. “There tends to be a lot of confusion regarding New Hampshire tax laws. It’s a unique state because there is no income tax, but the state does have complex businesses taxes with requirements that some may not be aware of. New Hampshire tax laws can be very different from the federal level or even those of other states.” It’s for these reasons that Clean Energy NH will be hosting an event sponsored by PPE&C on May 23 at the UNH School of Law in Concord on “Renewable Energy Taxation 101”. Featuring attorney Nicole Bodoh from PPE&C and several other topic experts, the event will provide an overview of various tax issues and attendees will leave with a better understanding of the complex world of taxation. Registration is available online here. For Nicole, the topic is one that never fails to spark her professional interest. “It’s like putting together pieces of a puzzle,” Nicole says of her work negotiating contracts and working with her business clients, a task helped by her previous experience working as an English-as-a-second-language teacher and helping students with interpretations. PPE&C also serves clients in the energy, utility, and environmental spheres. Clean Energy NH has worked with another of the firm’s top attorneys, Elijah Emerson of the Montpelier, VT office, in our regulatory initiatives at the Public Utilities Commission. Says Eli about working with Clean Energy NH: “I love working with CENH and its members because it invigorates me and reminds me why I became a lawyer – to help people make the world a cleaner, better place.” Learn more about Primmer, Piper, Eggleston, & Cramer and connect with their attorneys here!

Clean Energy NH (CENH) is closely monitoring the status of discussions for state and federal aid to various industries to alleviate impacts caused to our economy by the COVID-19 pandemic. At this time, oil prices are down dramatically. Fossil fuel interests are calling for a bailout in the form of a major purchase by the federal government, and likely more. Fossil fuel interests are well-positioned with funding and lobbyists to influence government spending. The clean energy industry, however, also deserves attention and aid from the federal government. As the pandemic has developed, we have witnessed solar energy projects being delayed or cancelled. Many projects are facing supply chain or workforce issues, coupled with the difficulty of receiving timely permitting and inspections. Energy efficiency contractors are unable to perform critical weatherization work or energy audits, forcing drastic layoffs and threatening the future of the energy efficiency workforce. Offshore wind efforts cannot host public meetings or continue coordination among stakeholders, dragging out already prolonged project timelines and threatening project viability. The list goes on and on. All told, the clean energy industry employs hundreds of thousands of Americans, larger than the fossil fuel industry, and contributes hundreds of millions of dollars to our nation’s economy. It is in our nation’s interest to support the clean energy industry as a smart investment in our energy future. Federal support for many renewable energy technologies is already in place in the form of the Investment Tax Credit (ITC). The ITC is in the process, however, of being permanently phased out. The continuation and expansion of this important program is something CENH sees an opportunity to support clean energy during this time of economic downturn.. As one example, by extending the ITC for the next 5 years and re-instituting the grant in lieu of tax credit, as well as expanding eligibility for energy storage, electric vehicles, advanced biomass heating technology and other technologies, the federal government can provide a simple and cost-effective stimulus. The federal government can also play a vital role in providing stimulus to energy efficiency efforts.. The energy efficiency sector added more new jobs in NH in 2019 than any other energy sector but is now facing some of the largest layoffs. While the short-term business loan program is helpful, the federal government can help this sector by expanding energy efficiency tax credits and instituting an efficiency and conservation block grant program, similar to that of the 2009 stimulus. This will ensure long-term support for the industry after the pandemic. What You Can Do Today! CENH is calling on our members and supporters to encourage our Federal delegation to prioritize these items as Congress considers further economic stimulus. Please contact Senators Hassan and Shaheen and your US House Representative. A phone call is best and only takes about one minute but can make a huge difference. Ask them to push for the inclusion of the policies described above in the next round of economic stimulus. It is critically important at this time to support renewable energy, clean transportation, and energy efficiency as we begin the long road ahead of economic recovery. You can find their contact information here; https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials. Thank you!

On December 12, the Bureau of Offshore Energy Management (BOEM) hosted the first Gulf of Maine Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Task Force Meeting at the University of New Hampshire. This meeting was the kick-off for the new Task Force, which includes members of state agencies, state and local officials, and tribal representatives from Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine. Governor Sununu opened the meeting and expressed great interest and enthusiasm for the Task Force’s work and the future of the offshore wind industry in the Granite State. Furthermore, the meeting was standing-room only, demonstrating the deep interest of stakeholders and members of the public in offshore wind energy. Clean Energy NH was present at the Task Force Meeting and has compiled some highlights below. If you missed the meeting or want to learn more about any of the items described below, BOEM will be posting all of the day’s presentations online here: https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/state-activities/gulf-maine-intergovernmental-renewable-energy-task-force-meeting The Task Force provides a mechanism for coordination with stakeholders. The purpose is to provide a platform for information exchange, as the Task Force is neither a decision making nor approval body. A final charter will be finalized and released after January 3rd. The process for offshore wind energy development is as follows, with approximate length of time for each stage of the process: · Planning & Analysis (up to 2 years) · Leasing (1-2 years) · Site Assessment (approximately 5 years) · Construction & Operation (2 years) Activities involved during these phases include identifying lease areas, environmental review, sale notices, comments, and auctions, site characterization surveys and site assessment plans, and engineering reports. See BOEM’s presentation for a helpful chart describing each phase, the associated work to be completed during each phase, and sample time frames. This means New Hampshire could see offshore wind projects in approximately 10 years. However, the state has the ability to prepare and benefit from economic development in the very near future through offshore wind supply chain development. Representatives from New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts presented on each state’s renewable energy goals and perspectives on offshore wind development. Agencies in New Hampshire that are very involved in offshore wind include the Office of Strategic Initiatives and the Department of Business and Economic Affairs, and representatives from many others are involved with the Task Force to ensure economic and environmental interests are well-represented. All meetings of the Task Force are open to the public, who were permitted to state comments during a portion of the meeting. Stakeholders representing Eversource, IBEW, commercial fisherman, and climate advocates expressed their views. Comments were overwhelmingly positive although a few stakeholders expressed concern and caution for how development could impact fishing interests and wildlife. An important resource for offshore wind environmental impact literature is called “Tethys” and can be accessed at https://tethys.pnnl.gov/institution/boem-office-renewable-energy-programs The meeting continued with presentations from Task Force members including the Navy, Coast Guard, National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA Coastal Zone Management, Northeast Regional Ocean Council, New England Fishery Management Council, and Responsible Offshore Development Alliance. Information was also presented by the U.S. Department of Energy. The next meeting of the BOEM Task Force has not yet been scheduled. Clean Energy NH will send an update when the next meeting is scheduled, and we encourage our members and supporters to attend meetings if they are interested in offshore wind!

“As I read the @NHPUC grid mod document, I find myself wondering if the whole paradigm isn’t too utility-centric – focused on ‘what can we encourage the utilities to put into rate base?’ rather than ‘how can we transform utilities into platform providers?’” –D. Maurice Kreis, The Consumer Advocate The new Public Utilities Commission report on electric grid modernization envisions a 21st century energy grid designed around distributed energy resources (e.g., solar, storage, electric vehicles, load management, smart meters, and synchronization of these and other technologies). The question remains: will the market or the monopoly be the path taken into the distributed energy future? While the report calls for broad stakeholder input from customers and energy service providers, much of the framework offered revolves around integrating elements of grid modernization into existing five- and ten-year distribution system plans which are utility focused, lead, and driven. The report gives less attention to the potential for market forces, enabled by smart rate design and time-based price signals, to stimulate competitive investment of private capital to achieve the goals of grid modernization. There are two schools of thought on the best approach to grid modernization: 1. Customer-Centric: the Competitive Market Approach 2. Utility-Centric: the Central Planning Approach In the end, both of these paths will have a role to play in modernizing our electric system. That being said, thus far in New Hampshire, the competitive market has been responsible for nearly all distributed energy resource deployment. Over the past decade, market forces have succeeded in establishing a robust and growing distributed solar industry, which is already delivering benefits to more than 12,000 homes, businesses, and municipalities. Customer-Centric Grid Mod: The Competitive Market Approach The success of the solar industry is a result of the simple but effective price signal established by net metering, the policy that allows owners of distributed generation to receive credit from their utility for electricity fed into the electric grid. Net metering has been invaluable in developing New Hampshire’s local energy economy, but the realization of a fully modern electric grid will require a more sophisticated form of net metering. Distributed energy generated during the late afternoon is more valuable than distributed energy produced mid-morning. This is because overall demand for electricity, and stress on the electric grid, is generally greater in the late afternoon. Despite these differing values, current net metering compensates distributed generation (e.g., rooftop solar) at the same rate regardless of the time of production. Innovative rate design is one critical component of leveraging competitive markets to modernize the electric grid. For example, net metering can be modernized to compensate distributed generation based on how valuable that electricity is given the time of production, a practice known as “time-variant” or “time-of-use” rate design. Offering customers time-based rates for both for consumption of electricity, and as compensation for distributed generation, will allow market forces to better deploy distributed energy resources to the benefit of the individual user and the ratepayer generally. For example, time-based rates can motivate customers to pair their solar with energy storage, which would enable them to strategically discharge stored solar energy when the grid needs it most. Beyond time-variant rates, peer-to-peer energy trading, Non-Wires Alternatives (utilizing distributed energy resources to avoid traditional utility investments in sub-stations and the like), and data access and transparency are all necessary components of a modern electric grid. Utility-Centric Grid Mod: The Central Planning Approach The new Public Utilities Commission Staff report on grid modernization acknowledges that competitive markets, guided by time-based price signals, have a role to play in bringing our electric grid into the 21st century. However, the lengthy report exhausts most of its focus exploring the central-planning approach to grid modernization. The report recommends utilities submit Integrated Distribution System plans that include 10-year roadmaps of how the utility plans to achieve grid modernization objectives and 5-year capital investment/operational expense plans. These Integrated Distribution Plans will be added to an existing planning process known as Least Cost Integrated Resource Plans. The plans will address a series of complex forecasts and analyses including distributed energy resource forecasting, load forecasting, hosting capacity analysis, and locational value analysis. The plans will address distributed energy resource interconnection and strategic electrification. The plans will include performance metrics, opportunities for utilities to earn revenue based upon their successful implementation of grid modernization objectives. Conclusion Markets tend to move faster than regulators, which is why for the most part, competitive businesses are deploying modern grid solutions at a faster rate than utilities. This is not to say utilities will not play a critical role in modernizing the grid. They most certainly will. The risk is that in the quagmire of the slow-moving regulatory arena, the opportunity of market approaches to grid modernization will be overshadowed by an approach that relies too heavily on utility-led initiatives. Clean Energy NH favors a balanced approach to grid modernization, one that empowers utilities to implement new technologies while also creating opportunities for businesses and residents to invest their private capital in innovative energy solutions.

If you’re on the hunt for a partner in government relations and public policy and the magic words “elite”, “experienced”, and “exceptional” are on your wish list, then look no further than member Preti Strategies. Featuring talented employees that love and know the Granite State inside and out, Preti Strategies can provide you with a diverse toolbox of government relations, advocacy, and communications services. Based in Concord, Preti Strategies works with a variety of clients, developing a strategic approach that best reflects their unique policy positions and priorities as they develop over the course of an engagement. In New Hampshire, the Preti Strategies team includes two former lawmakers from each side of the aisle and access to an extensive network of relationships developed over decades of legislative work. Whether you’re looking for a partner in state, federal, and local government affairs, strategic communications, public affairs, or grassroots and community relations, Preti Strategies can develop the strategic approach that meets your needs. The firm has extensive experience in energy-related government and public affairs and understands the complex and rapidly-evolving energy policy landscape. Clients can also benefit from Preti Strategies unique ability to, in partnership with their affiliated law firm Preti Flaherty, offer an integrated multi-state approach to government relations. As members of the former NH Clean Tech Council (NHCTC), now rebranded under the Clean Energy NH banner, Preti Strategies has been a valued, engaged member since 2017. The firm’s commitment to New Hampshire and to energy solutions was evident when members of the team joined NHCTC’s October 2018 international trade delegation to Denmark for offshore wind supply chain development. This event helped spur the Granite State’s forward movement in the offshore wind industry. “The team at Preti Strategies is fantastic to work with,” says Michael Behrmann, lead organizer of the Denmark trip and Director of Business Development at Clean Energy NH. “They truly bring an unparalleled level of experience and initiative to the table.” Learn more about the firm, the team, and their services online at www.pretistrategies.com.

Cities and towns, businesses and homeowners, when it comes to the future of energy for our state, they all want the same thing: a cleaner, New Hampshire-based energy economy. In many ways, the prospect is a no-brainer. Clean energy creates local jobs and boosts domestic economies by supporting a growing workforce of high-skilled and high-paid contractors, electricians, installers, financiers, and other professions. Clean energy reduces air pollutant emissions, including carbon dioxide, and lessens the impacts of climate change. But while the economic and environmental benefits are readily apparent, there is another critical benefit clean energy provides that is perhaps less well understood. If you pay attention to energy media in the northeast, you may be aware that the high cost of electricity is an ongoing challenge for our region. Incumbent energy players scarcely miss an opportunity to remind us that New Hampshire suffers some of the highest electric rates in the country. What generally gets left out of this narrative is the somewhat ironic cause of the crisis, namely, the steadily increasing in the cost of utility-owned transmission and distribution systems. If only there were some suite of tools energy users could employ to reduce the ever-growing cost of monopoly poles and wires… If only there were technologies that could be deployed in a distributed fashion to reduce system peaks, and reduce overall energy flowing from centralized generation to the point of consumption… According to the regional grid operator ISO New England, energy efficiency and distributed solar provide exactly this benefit. ISO-NE projects that by 2027, solar and efficiency will have reduced summer peak demand by 6,500 megawatts and avoided 40,000 gigawatt-hours of annual energy use. By lowering peak demand and annual energy consumption, efficiency and solar offset the need for massive investments in traditional energy infrastructure, thus saving money for all ratepayers. A separate analysis conducted by Synapse Energy Economics had similar findings. During the weeklong heat wave of July 2018, distributed solar saved New England ratepayers more than $20 million dollars by reducing total demand for energy and by reducing wholesale energy prices. The collective benefits of clean energy are already being demonstrated across the system. As markets for distributed energy technologies continue to develop, policy innovations like time-of-use rates can be used to more precisely guide the deployment of resources like solar and energy storage to maximize benefit for both the individual customer, and electric grid as a whole. It is true that New Hampshire and its neighbors face some of the highest energy costs in the country. But the solution has become readily available. The solution to high energy costs, both for the individual energy user and for the collective ratepayers, is a clean, distributed, New Hampshire-based energy economy.