Shaheen, Hassan, Kuster and Pappas Announce $900,000 in Energy Efficiency Funds That Will Lower Heating Bills in New Hampshire
(Washington, DC) - U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a senior member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee and a lead negotiator of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), along with U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Congresswoman Annie Kuster (NH-02) and Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01), today announced two awards heading to New Hampshire that total $900,000 through the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) Program. Through her role as a lead negotiator, Shaheen was a key advocate for the EECBG funds included in the IIJA.
“I’m so pleased that the funding I fought to include in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is going to improve the energy efficiency of buildings and homes, which helps Granite Staters save money on heating and cooling costs while supporting local jobs,” said Senator Shaheen. “These types of energy efficiency programs will continue to have huge positive impacts across New Hampshire, and I’m glad that communities like Exeter and small towns like Peterborough and Harrisville are benefiting from this funding.”
“It is clear that to thrive in the 21st century, we must make serious investments in clean energy. That’s why I worked to negotiate and pass into law the bipartisan infrastructure package, which is lowering energy costs and combating climate change,” said Senator Hassan. “I am glad that Exeter, Peterborough, and Harrisville are receiving this new federal funding to make energy efficiency upgrades, lower costs for families, and invest in workforce development. I look forward to seeing how this will make a difference in Granite State communities.”
“As New Hampshire continues to deal with the impacts of climate change and rising energy costs, it’s critical we invest in modernizing our energy grid and infrastructure in the face of these challenges,” said Congresswoman Kuster. “I’m pleased to see these resources made available through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law heading to communities across New Hampshire to improve energy efficiency in our homes, hospitals, and more, lowering costs for Granite Staters and paving the way toward a clean energy future – a win-win.”
“These investments, made possible through the bipartisan infrastructure law, will deliver important cost savings to families in New Hampshire,” said Congressman Pappas. “As this program continues to expand, I encourage communities across our state to compete for these funds and expand access to clean, energy efficient upgrades that will reduce the impact on our environment while lowering energy costs.
Exeter is receiving $200,000, which will leverage funding from the NHSaves Weatherization Program to make energy efficiency upgrades and lower bills in 100 low-income households located in manufactured housing parks. Peterborough and Harrisville are receiving a $700,000 award to retrofit 250 buildings to replace fossil-fuel heating systems with cold-climate heat pumps. Of those buildings, 100 are home to low-income residents. The funding will also support workforce development through a collaboration with Lakes Region Community College and the MAXT Makerspace.
EECBG Program funding meets the unique energy needs in communities that serve more than 250 million Americans across the country. Applicants were evaluated based on their project impact, their plans for community engagement and expected community benefits – particularly for lower-income and energy burdened Americans --- the viability of their plans, and the strength of their team. The EECBG Program has 14 categories of eligible activities that allow grantees to select from a wide variety of clean energy projects and programs that align with their clean energy goals while meeting local needs. The grants included in this cohort of formula and competitive funding recipients will fall into a range of these categories – with significant benefits to the communities they serve.
Shaheen and Hassan helped negotiate the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law), which provides a $550 billion investment in our nation’s core infrastructure priorities – including roads and bridges, rail, transit, ports, airports, the electric grid, water systems and broadband. Shaheen leads legislative action in the Senate to deliver energy infrastructure investments, particularly for clean energy and energy efficiency projects. Shaheen successfully included key provisions of her energy efficiency bill – the Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act (ESIC) – with Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) in the IIJA. Shaheen and Hassan were also key supporters of the Inflation Reduction Act, which included provisions for clean energy and climate investments in New Hampshire. Last month, Shaheen celebrated the announcement that the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) opened applications for $400 million in federal funding to help states and territories adopt and implement building energy codes that reduce utility bills, increase efficiency, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and make buildings more resilient to climate disasters.
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