Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Weatherization topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee recommends against study of weatherization initiatives, 9-8
Summary
The committee voted 9-8 to recommend ITL on HB 599, which would have set up a committee to examine statewide weatherization initiatives. Supporters said a small convening could identify gaps; opponents said the topic is already well studied and resources exist.
The Science, Technology and Energy Committee voted 9-8 on March 4 to recommend ITL (Inexpedient to Legislate) on HB 599, a proposal to create a committee to examine weatherization initiatives for New Hampshire homes.
Backers of the bill argued the state lacks a comprehensive, up-to-date assessment of the housing stock and that a small, legislatively authorized convening could gather and synthesize data on needs, workforce and program reach. Representative Kaplan said the state does not yet have a clear statewide understanding of weatherization needs and called the study "strategic" for housing affordability and economic development.
Opponents, including committee members who have worked on energy-efficiency programs for years, said the state already has resources and programs (for example, New Hampshire Saves and DOE initiatives) and that repeated studies would be redundant. Representative Wendy Thomas and others opposed the study because they said weatherization benefits and program mechanics are well known and repeatedly studied.
After debate, the committee adopted ITL by a narrow margin. Representative Wendy Thomas will prepare a minority report in support of the study; the majority report will recommend ITL.
