Lora Current Testimony in New Hampshire: Reliable Energy Sources

ALEC Energy, Environment and Agriculture Task Force Senior Manager Lora Current submitted written testimony to the New Hampshire House Committee on Science, Technology, and Energy regarding HB 1455 relative to the criteria for reliable energy sources.

Read her testimony below:

Chairman Vose, and Members of the Committee,

My name is Lora Current Myers, and I am the Senior Manager of the Energy, Environment, and Agriculture Task Force for the American Legislative Exchange Council.

I appreciate the opportunity to share ALEC’s nonpartisan research and analysis on HB 1455, which affirms what New Hampshire families, businesses, and manufacturers already know: energy must be affordable and reliable.

In the latest ALEC Energy Affordability Report, which ranks states based on electricity prices and energy policies, New Hampshire ranked 46th in the nation. This low ranking is due to high prices for consumers and significant challenges in maintaining reliability, as evidenced by the seven reported reliability incidents during the yearlong study period.

Energy is the foundation of every economic decision made in New Hampshire, whether it’s a small business trying to expand, a farmer powering irrigation system, or a manufacturer keeping assembly lines running.

HB 1455 defines “affordable energy” with practical, consumer-focused metrics using the lowest cost method of providing electricity, accounting for the full life cycle cost of each generation source. This means New Hampshire’s energy policy will be guided by what actually lowers costs for consumers, not by political trends or short-term subsidies.

This legislation defines “reliability” in measurable terms: a source of electricity that is not subject to intermittent availability or routine daily weather variation and maintains a performance standard of at least 80 percent, except during routine maintenance or repairs. These criteria guarantee that energy sources feeding New Hampshire’s grid —such as natural gas, coal, and nuclear—can respond to demand spikes, backstop renewables, and prevent blackouts.

HB 1455 also defines “green energy” as any source that meets federal air quality standards, explicitly recognizing natural gas and nuclear energy as clean, reliable components of New Hampshire’s energy mix.

By emphasizing domestic production and infrastructure security, this legislation also strengthens energy independence, ensuring that New Hampshire’s homes and factories are powered by U.S.-made energy, not by materials from foreign adversaries.

Louisiana has already taken this step, passing a strong energy security law that prioritizes affordability, reliability, and domestic production. When energy is affordable and reliable, communities grow and investment follows. HB 1455 codifies those values into law, providing the clarity investors, utilities, and consumers need to plan for a successful future in New Hampshire.

Respectfully submitted,

Lora Current Myers

Senior Manager, Energy, Environment, and Agriculture Task Force

American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)