Keep local control in our communities

TO THE EDITOR:

What does “the New Hampshire way” mean? Ingenuity, selfreliance, local control, frugality, community, loving the land.

These values are under attack from House Bill 315, aptly renamed “The Monopoly Protection Act.”

Last year, Governor Sununu signed the community power law, allowing cities and towns to choose where their electricity comes from. Here was “the New Hampshire way.”

Community power promotes Yankee ingenuity: Nashua would create power from its multiple hydroelectric dams; Lebanon would turn landfill gas into energy. Communities deciding for themselves how to meet their electricity needs? That’s local control and self-reliance! As technologies advance, each town or city could determine the services they want to offer their citizens – and get the best price possible.

Speaking of price, what New Hampshire municipality would ignore savings of $$$ on power bills? Those reduced rates wouldn’t just be for town operations; that reduced-price power would be available for all their citizens. Citizens would decide together how they want their Community Power plan to work. And as more communities opt for renewable energy sources, we protect our precious environment.

That may be a short-lived dream. Eversource requested HB 315, requiring all New Hampshire to get their power only from our traditional utility companies. Our fuel would come from out of state.

Remember when King George insisted the 13 colonies only buy their tea from England? This is the same kind of monopoly. Don’t grant Eversource their monopoly wish. Support local control, local energy, local jobs, local savings. Urge your representatives to defeat HB 315.

Susan Richman Durham

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