State officials and representatives from the energy sector gathered in Portsmouth this week to get started on a “roadmap” to generate more nuclear power in New Hampshire.
The conference is one of the first public steps energy officials have taken in the months following an executive order issued by Gov. Kelly Ayotte directing the Department of Energy to explore emerging nuclear power technologies. She cited high electricity prices as one reason to develop the energy source; New Hampshire and the Northeast have some of the highest energy prices in the country.
New Hampshire is already home to Seabrook Station, one of two nuclear power plants still operating in New England. It came online in 1990 and sparked significant backlash. Along with the Millstone Plant in Connecticut, it supplies about 25% of the region’s electricity.
But as officials discussed economic impacts and utility integration of nuclear energy, a lot of the conversation focused on small modular reactors, which proponents say could produce energy more cheaply and faster than conventional reactors. But experts say small modular reactors could be years away from being used widely because of regulatory and cost obstacles.
“A lot of this technology kind of morphed out of the same concepts in the 1950s.... there's a lot of changes that have happened between now and then,” Thomas Barrasso, director of energy innovation at the DOE, said during the conference on Tuesday. “A lot of energy demands beyond the data centers, beyond the big manufacturing, just day to day life is going to take more electricity to operate."
Regional electricity use is up and expected to increase over the next several years, according to New England’s grid operator. All six New England governors pointed to that trend in a March letter laying out a commitment to develop new nuclear generation.
Public comment on the effort in New Hampshire was mixed, with some speakers raising concerns over potential environmental harm while others praised the state’s effort and said investment in the technology could be an economic boon for the state.
“Our demands for energy are increasing with AI…We're living in one of the most technological, extraordinary times in history, and as much as I love wind and solar, it's just not going to feed the beast,” said Raechel Lambert, a tech entrepreneur from Portsmouth.
Others said the state should direct its focus on other energy sources.
“Other New England states are pursuing offshore wind and other renewables in growing quantities, power sources that are increasingly affordable,” said Doug Bogen, Executive Director of the Seacoast Anti-Pollution League.
State officials said the Department of Energy will have a draft roadmap by September and a finalized plan by March 2028. It will outline how the state could build more of this technology and what obstacles it faces.
