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Sununu Set To Sign Bills Aimed At Energy Cost Transparency

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Governor Chris Sununu has signaled he’ll sign a pair of energy-related bills approved by legislators at the end of session last week.

One gives lawmakers control of the system benefits charge. That's a small fee on energy bills that helps pay for energy efficiency upgrades for low-income ratepayers.

Legislators also voted to tell utilities to list the costs of complying with renewable energy standards on electric bills.

Sununu says that will help consumers understand what’s behind New Hampshire’s high energy rates, which are some of the highest in the country.

Those rates are set on the wholesale market. They're separate from bills, which include other costs -- such as those for renewable energy and system benefits -- and are about average compared to other states.

Lawmakers also advanced a number of environmental bills last week.

They've sent Sununu a bill to regulate groundwater contamination that stems from air pollution for the first time.

And they passed a bill telling environmental regulators to tighten the state limit on arsenic in drinking water.

One bill that didn’t pass would have changed state standards for the length of lakeside docks.  

Annie has covered the environment, energy, climate change and the Seacoast region for NHPR since 2017. She leads the newsroom's climate reporting project, By Degrees.
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