| Energy Committee Resources | | | | LEC Working Group | The mission of the Local Energy Committee Working Group is to provide collaborative guidance and technical support to New Hampshire Local Energy Committees seeking to reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions within their communities.
Erica Anderson, Lakes Region Planning Commission
Mike Behrmann, SDES Group, LLC
Linda Darveau, US EPA, Region 1
Julia Dundorf, Clean Air - Cool Planet / NH Carbon Challenge
Cheryl King Fischer, New England Grassroots Environment Fund
AnnMarie French, NH Local Government Center
Wes Golomb, Lakes Region Community College
Christa Koehler, Clean Air-Cool Planet
Julie LaBranche, Rockingham Regional Planning Commission
Madeline McElaney, NH Sustainable Energy Association
Camille Pattison, Nashua Regional Planning Commission
Bob Reals, Jr., Plymouth Area Renewable Energy Initiative
Chris Skoglund, NH Department of Environmental Services
Eric Steltzer, NH Office of Energy and Planning
Susan Thorne, Jordan Institute
Wood Turner, Climate Counts
Angela Vincent, ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability
Cameron Wake, Carbon Solutions New England, UNH
Bob Walker, Sustainable Energy Resource Group
Christine Walker, Upper Valley Lake Sunapee Regional Planning Commission
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| Are people asking you how they can lower their heating bills or get assistance? Information with energy saving tips and assistance programs can be found here. | | Feedback | If you have questions suggestions, comments, or energy news you would like to see in the newsletter, please send an email to: Sara Kaufman | | New on the Wiki | | More information is being added. Anyone can do it! Guides for submitting to the Wiki are on site.
As always, please keep posting and sharing the great work your committees are doing.
Also, keep an eye out for some wiki training workshops.
| | | | Spotlight
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Local Energy Solutions 2009 (June 20 Concord)
Keynote Speaker: Senator Jeanne Shaheen
 Member of the:
U.S. Senate Committee on Energy
U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship
U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations
Senator Shaheen is confirmed as the keynote speaker for next month's Local Energy Solutions conference scheduled for June 20 at the Grappone Center in Concord.
Senator Shaheen sits on the Senate Energy & Natural resources Committee. Her attendance on June 20 will spotlight local energy solutions in a very big way, and we are confident she will bring back to Washington a vivid picture of New Hampshire people working in their communities and municipalities to reduce energy costs and polluting greenhouse gas emissions.
Putting stimulus funds and RGGI funds to good work depends a great deal on people prepared on the ground. A committee of the Local Energy Committee Working Group has developed a fantastic agenda that includes state agencies, energy committee volunteers, utilities and NGOs. Support for Local Energy Solutions comes in part from | News From Your Committees
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This section summarizes recent news sent to us by local energy committees throughout the state. More detail will be posted on nhenergy.org.
The Atkinson LEC is working with the Rockingham Planning Commission to prepare an Energy Use report for presentation to their Selectmen this summer. Both the Selectmen and the Town Maintenance Supervisor are very interested in moving forward with energy audits, so the AEC is confident that this information will be well received. Two years of data has been entered into the EPA Portfolio Manager for five town buildings and all energy data has been entered into STOCC, as well. Julie LaBranche will be generating the report for the energy committee. They are also working with Julie to develop a new chapter in Atkinson's Master Plan which will direct the town to prioritize energy efficiency and consideration of renewables in the construction and maintenance of town buildings, as well as encouraging town residents and businesses to do the same. Finally, The Atkinson Energy Committee's primary frustration has been effectively reaching out to residents to encourage participation in the NH Carbon Challenge. They have given two presentations with very limited attendance. They are interested in how other communities have successfully engaged their residents in reducing their carbon footprint and are hoping to hold another Energy Fair this fall. The Colebrook Energy and Environment Committee is working on creating a website, and organizing an Energy Expo for the Fall, which will include local green home tours, and small "how to" seminars throughout the day. Last Fall their Expo drew 400 people from this sparse area, and had almost 40 vendors and speakers, giving 12 seminars. On May 18 names were drawn for garden plots in Greener Hopkinton's "Julie Chapin Memorial Community Garden." Bill Chapin of Hopkinton kindly donated the use of land for this year for our town's first Community Garden in memory of his wife Julie who loved to garden. Twenty 10x10 foot garden plots were offered for use to Hopkinton residents. Alan Jones of Knoxland Equipment plowed the area to help prepare it for planting. The Ossipee Energy Committee presented the NH Carbon Challenge to the 3rd grade at Ossipee Central School. Due to time constraints and limited computer access (for teachers and parents) the classes only addressed electrical use. It is the committee's plan to follow up next year with the same group of kids to commit to reducing their families CO2 output from heating in the fall and from transportation in the late winter/spring. The KA Brett 1st grade invited the Tamworth Volunteer Energy Committee to join them in taking the Carbon Challenge. This is a wonderful way to connect with the school. The first project will be to approach the local churches to join in the challenge. Following this work the committee will target another three or so groups in town so that eventually almost all townspeople will take part within the next 6-8 month. Work on this will take place during June and July. The Tamworth committee will have a display booth with demonstrations at the Family Day on July 4th, Chocorua Day late July, and will ask for a booth at the local Farmers' Market for several Saturdays. One of the displays will be a cross section of a window and wall showing how to "green" or weatherize one's home is. The committee's new member has built a heated hot house using recycled materials to extend the growing season using all solar energy. The Committee will have 4-5 newly appointed members by June meeting. They meet on the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 7pm in the Cook Memorial Library in the center of town. People are invited to sit in on their meetings. The new chairpersons are Lee and Peg Custer, deerhill356@roadrunner.com On May 6th Temple's energy committee had its third combined meeting with the Temple Planning Board regarding the recommendations from the draft report of the energy audit that was conducted for Temple's Master Plan and Zoning Ordinances. This meeting was to review, clarify and underscore the validity of each of the board's decisions from the previous meeting based on those recommendations. The results were extremely gratifying. The board agreed to establish a subcommittee to further explore the details and issues raised by several of the recommendations. They validated all but one of the other "Yes" votes from the previous meeting. It was decided that several recommendations will be referred to Temple's Conservation Commission and several others to the Energy Committee to enact or manifest. This includes the creation of an Energy Chapter to be added to Temple's Master Plan which the energy committee will be getting to work on shortly. The Temple Energy Committee organized the recycling for their town's Half-Marathon on April 25th and for Good Roads Day on May 2nd. After they sorted and bagged all the plastic, bottles and cans from Good Roads Day alone it filled an 8 ft. bed truck several layers deep! Four committee members then completed the recycling at the Wilton Recycling Center.
| | Wiki User Tip
| Adding Your Events to the Calendar The events calendar provides a great opportunity to advertise your committees events and meetings. To add events to the calender simply follow these steps: - Go to the wiki home page (nhenergy.org)
- Click on "Current Events" in the top left hand box
- Next, click on the blue link labeled "Calendar" at the top of the page. This will bring you to the calendar itself
- Then, find the date you would like to add an event and click "Add Event"
- Finally, enter in any information about the event you would like to include and click "Save Page" located at the bottom of the page.
Congrats! You have now entered an event into the NH Energy Wiki Calendar! | | Upcoming Events | Networking with other energy committees by going to events and workshops is a great way to learn from each other and bring back ideas to the committees.
Go to the calendar page on nhenergy.org for more information and to add your own events.
May 14th: Mark Weissflog on Geothermal
7pm, Gilford Library
In conjunction with the Gilford Public Library the Gilford Energy Committee is offering a series of speakers.
May 27th: Concord Green Drinks Saving the environment one sip at a time. 4:30-6:30 pm Green Martini 6 Pleasant Street, Ext., Concord Celebrate Spring and the upcoming conclusion of the legislative session, please join the Granite State Conservation Voters for a few cold drinks with your fellow conservation friends.
$20.00 per person Includes two (green or non-green) drinks, finger food and fun... well, perhaps a door prize or two anyway! All are welcome... kindly RSVP to Susie Hackler at shackler@voteconservation.org Renewable Energy Information Session 7:00pm, New Castle Public Library, MaComber Room
Recent legislation will make renewable energy systems more affordable for New Hampshire residents, businesses, and organizations. The PUC's Renewable Energy Fund will provide direct financial support for qualified solar electric and solar hot water systems and is intended to help move the State toward its goal of 25% renewable generation by 2025 (see RSA 362-F). When the new state funds are combined with federal tax credits, and other utility rebate programs, the upfront costs of a solar hot water (SHW), solar photovoltaic (PV), or wood-pellet boiler system are greatly reduced. ReVision Energy LLC has amassed considerable experience in fitting solar and wood-pellet boiler technologies to homes, businesses, and municipalities across Maine and New Hampshire. Solar electric, solar thermal, and wood-biomass represent three of the most efficient and reliable renewable energy systems currently available. This presentation aims to provide details on the environmental, financial, and policy aspects of transitioning away from fossil fuel energy to clean and sustainable renewable energy, with ample time for question and answer. Contact Sandra Bisset of the New Castle Energy Committee for more information ( bissetconsulting@comcast.net). 8am-4:30pm, Grappone Center, Concord
The Carbon Coalition Local Energy Committee Working group will host the first annual LEC state-wide training and information sharing conference for energy reduction efforts at the local level.
June 11th: Wes Golomb on tightening up your home for less energy use/cost 7pm, Gilford Library
In conjunction with the Gilford Public Library the Gilford Energy Committee is offering a series of speakers.
________________________________________________ Green Drinks, a world wide organization that helps bring together people interested in anything green to network and learn what is going on in their communities.
 Concord:
Green Drinks Concord now meets the second Thursday of every month at the Red Blazer on Manchester Street in Concord. Contact steve@zetlandhomes.com for more info.
Keene:  Green Drinks will be held the first Monday of each month. Hosted by the Monadnock Sustainability Network, committed to encouraging sustainable living practices and resource conservation in the region through direct advocacy, education and outreach.
For more info: contact Bonnie Hudspeth
Portsmouth:  Just put Green Drinks down in your calendars for the third Thursday of the month at 2 Ceres Street Martini Bar. To receive our monthly reminder email joeharrison415@gmail.com. | | News on the NH Climate Policy Task Force and the OEP
|  Following a yearlong effort, which drew upon the efforts of the 29-member Climate Change Policy Task Force, a 125-member stakeholder process, and hundreds of public comments, the NH Climate Action Plan was released at a press event with Governor John Lynch on Wednesday, March 25th at the State House. The Action Plan contains 67 recommendations that lay out a plan for all of New Hampshire to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from each sector of the economy while promoting the state's economic development and preservation of New Hampshire's high quality of life. The Climate Action Plan is available for review and download here. Also announced at the press event was the formation of the NH Energy and Climate Collaborative. This public/private partnership was formed to serve as the "Keeper of the Plan" and facilitate the implementation of its 67 recommendations by identifying key implementing partners, coordinating efforts across the state, and tracking progress towards achievement of the Plan's goals. Click here for a list of the members of the collaborative. For more information about the Climate Action Plan or the Collaborative contact: Chris Skoglund, Energy and Transportation Analyst at 603-271-7624 or christopher.skoglund@des.nh.gov 
OEP has received $9.5 million with the condition to pass along at least 60% of this to municipalities and counties. OEP is currently developing this program and will be required to obligate the funds to municipal and county proposals within 180 days from the date its plan is accepted by the Department of Energy. The acceptance date is anticipated to be in June 2009. To stay informed, take a look at the OEP website devoted to ARRA funding.
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Ever wondered what the Legislature in New Hampshire is doing to address energy issues in the state? The NH Office of Energy and Planning has just made it easier for you to find out and track the progress of the energy bills before the State's Legislature. To view the list of energy and municipal planning legislation, visit OEP's website.
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