Being a full-time student and employee, I understand the struggle of those on a budget facing high energy costs.
New England residents paid up to 53 percent more for their electricity than the national average in 2015.
In its 2015-2016 Power Grid Profile, ISO New England reported 4,200 MW of generation on our grid will be retired in the next decade and prices will increase if we do not replace it.
In 2000, ISO New England reported 18 percent of our power came from coal, 22 percent from oil and 15 percent from natural gas. In 2015, 4 percent came from coal, 2 percent from oil and 49 percent from natural gas.
Natural gas demand for electricity has increased dramatically and so has its demand for heating purposes (roughly 40 percent of New Hampshire homes use natural gas for heat). Out of 13,000 MW of proposed generation for our region, over 8,000 MW is from natural gas. The marketplace and emissions regulations have allowed natural gas to be the free market’s choice that emits half as much carbon as coal.
Fortunately for New England, we are situated next to a large source of natural gas. We just need more access to it which means constructing new pipelines or increasing the capacity on our existing ones. New England needs more access to natural gas and it doesn’t matter if you’re a student, a family on a tight budget, an elderly person on a fixed income or a small business trying to make payroll, high energy costs affect everyone.
Courtney Starkweather
Hampstead