Democratic gubernatorial candidate Colin Van Ostern held a campaign stop at a solar farm in Lee today to emphasize his support for renewable energy.
Van Ostern spoke at the Oyster River Forest Solar Array in Lee, which was completed just a few months ago and is the state’s second largest assembly of solar panels.
The array powers most of the municipal buildings in Durham and was funded in part by a grant from the state’s Renewable Energy Fund. As an Executive Councilor, Van Ostern voted in favor of that grant, and he highlighted the fact that his Republican opponent for governor, Chris Sununu, did not.
“This will be one of the big issues in our race and in this campaign, in part because Chris Sununu and I have had very different points of view. This solar array behind us today is one that wouldn’t have happened if he had his way.”
At the time of the vote, Sununu said other forms of renewable energy could provide a better return on investment.
Van Ostern says he wants to double the amount of solar energy produced in the state in the next two to four years.
Solar has been growing fast in recent years but still only accounts for a tiny fraction of the energy generated in New Hampshire.