1 week Ago
AT THE Business & Industry Association’s 2025 New Hampshire Energy Symposium held in Concord last week, a central theme was driven home by panelists who ranged from state legislators to green energy developers: New Hampshire needs to think harder about its energy future. Unlike most of our neighboring states, we are a comparatively “blank slate” for energy developers. This is a good thing in that it means fewer hoops to jump through, but it also might make us less competitive.
There are bills in the New Hampshire Legislature this year that are looking to change that, though. So called “enabling legislation” like HB 710 sends a clear signal that when it comes to cutting-edge energy technology, New Hampshire is “open for business.” Peak demand on the New England electricity grid is projected to double by 2050 .
That’s hardly surprising given the increasing prevalence of electric cars on our streets and increased use of heat pumps to heat and cool our homes. Add to this the rise of AI-related data centers that are sure to come and we will need more power and more transmission infrastructure to meet the rising demand. Between 2013 and 2024, New England has seen more than 7,000 megawatts (MW) of power generation retired, with another 750 MW planned to be retired.
Much of this consists of coal and oil fueled plants. But it’s important to remember that these kinds of traditional power plants still fulfill an important role for the overall grid. During winter cold snaps, when demand on the grid is high and natural gas supplies are constrained, these sources pick up the slack.
It is critical to have what the energy industry calls “dispatchable” power sources — plants that can meet increased demand at a moment’s notice, no matter the weather conditions. As Europe has learned the hard way, stretches of cloudy days and even “wind droughts” can jeopardize grid stability. We’re even seeing this with hydroelectric power, which supplies 7% of our power needs in New Hampshire .
Canada, the world’s third largest hydroelectricity producer, has been forced to cut exports and restart old gas-fired power plants due to a dry spell currently impacting about 70% of the country. Right now, most of New Hampshire’s power comes from Seabrook Nuclear Power Plant, and it’s likely that nuclear will play an important role in addressing our future energy needs. It’s in this context that bills like HB 710 from Rep.
Michael Vose make a lot of sense. This legislation would allow utilities to sign purchase power agreements (PPAs) with “advanced nuclear resources” (micro, mini, or small nuclear reactors) for acquiring up to 20% of a utility’s electrical energy needs. Under the framework, utilities would issue requests for proposals for nuclear energy, which would then be evaluated by the Public Utilities Commission (PUC).
Individual reactors would be capped at 300MW, about a third of the generating capacity of traditional nuclear power reactors . It’s hard to say how soon this kind of advanced nuclear technology will be implemented at scale, enabling legislation like this sends a clear signal that New Hampshire is ready for the future. As we consider ways to address the growing demand on the power grid, we should also consider the role that Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) will play.
These battery systems capture and store energy from the grid during off-peak hours. Then, they release it back to the grid when demand is high. This technology is likely to play a major role in grid stability in the future.
Right now, New England’s grid operator, ISO-NE, reports that 44% of the newly proposed power resources in their interconnection queue are battery storage systems. If New Hampshire wishes to decarbonize over time while ensuring the stability of our power grid, it is crucial that we remain open to these new technologies. When it comes to energy, we cannot afford to wait until the last minute to begin addressing our challenges.
Proactivity and foresight will be required to keep the lights on in the Granite State, and I hope our legislators continue welcoming burgeoning energy technologies..
