Do you know what the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) does? During this pandemic, many customers had difficulty keeping up with heat and electric bills. NHPUC worked with residents and our fuel and electric companies to protect the needs of both. A little extra insulation could save you dollars on your energy bill. NHPUC oversees energy efficiency programs.
Governor Sununu recently nominated a commissioner to the PUC, Daniel Goldner, a Texas Instruments executive. But is he a good candidate for bringing NH into the energy future that concerns us all? After a public hearing on Mr. Goldner’s nomination, Cinde Warmington, representing District 2 on the Council stated, “The governor’s nominee for Public Utilities Commissioner has thus far been unable to answer questions about energy efficiency, clean transportation technology, distributed energy or climate change. Despite my letting him know when we spoke the week prior that I would be asking about these topics, he was unable or unwilling to give us any answers in his public hearing.”
Our state is not prepared for the energy future. Energy efficiency standards are stalled at the PUC. Communities don’t know if they’ll be allowed to create their own energy with solar and net metering. Now is not the time to head our Public Utilities Commission with a person lacking knowledge in the fields of energy, transportation and adaptation to climate change.
Susan Richman
Durham