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Lumber, forestry and school officials urge lawmakers not to strip thermal renewable credits; critics call program a hidden subsidy
Summary
A lengthy public hearing on House Bill 567 FN produced sharply divided testimony: timber and local industry representatives said state thermal renewable energy credits (T‑RECs) support jobs, local fuel markets and school budgets, while critics, led by Rep. Harrington, called T‑RECs a disguised subsidy buried in electric bills.
Representative John Harrington reopened a continuation of the public hearing on House Bill 567 FN, which would eliminate certain renewable‑energy classifications that currently allow heat generated from wood and other thermal sources to earn renewable energy credits. Harrington described the thermal credits as “one of the worst examples of government” and said they amount to a hidden subsidy baked into electric rates.
The hearing drew more than a dozen witnesses who either backed or opposed the bill. Jason Stock, executive director of the New Hampshire Timberland Owners Association, testified in opposition, saying HB 567 would do more than change thermal credits: “It completely eliminates class 3, which are the existing biomass plants, which do produce electricity,” he said, adding that the change would threaten local jobs, taxes and forest‑product markets.
Foresters and industry witnesses offered technical and economic details meant to counter the bill’s…
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