By Sarah Shemkus for Energy News Network.Broadcast version by Kathryn Carley for New Hampshire News Connection reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-Public News Service Collaboration The early results of a New Hampshire battery storage pilot are being widely hailed, but it remains unclear whether the program will be expanded to test new models and new ways of benefiting consumers. The New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission issued an order Wednesday declaring that the first 20 months of the pilot, run by Liberty Utilities, met its goals. The order requires the company to file a new proposal by May 30 for how it will continue, modify, or expand its pilot program. Liberty Utilities in November released a report finding that the first phase of its battery storage pilot, in which the utility provided batteries to 96 homes, yielded significant cost savings for participants and effectively discharged power into the grid during periods of peak demand. &ldqu
The state of New York has passed a first-in-the-nation law banning the use of natural gas and other fossil fuel-powered systems in new buildings. The law, which was approved as part of the state s budget, requires all-electric cooking and heating in new buildings less than seven stories tall by 2026, and in 2029 for taller buildings. The cutoff for fossil fuel-powered systems in new buildings is the end of this year - or July 1, 2027, for taller buildings. .
Oregon needs more renewable energy but also should be aware of where it sites new projects. A new report provided guidelines for choosing the best locations. In 2021, the Oregon Legislature passed a law requiring electricity to come from non-emitting sources by 2040. .
For a third year in a row, zero-carbon sources accounted for the majority of electricity generated in Minnesota, according to the latest edition of an annual report measuring the state s clean-energy transition. The findings are issued by the group Clean Energy Economy Minnesota, which said the industry shift toward these sources is now "locked in" around the state. It showed in 2022, 55% of the state s power came from carbon-free sources, well above the national share of 41%. .