NH House Disagrees with EPA Decision

Posted By on Sep 30, 2011 | 3 comments

NH House Speaker William O’Brien and House Majority D.J. Bettencourt had something to say about the EPA’s decision to require a $112 million expense at PSNH electricity plant in Bow. Here are the statements they released this morning:

“At a time when we are doing everything we can to make New Hampshire more competitive and attractive to employers, the federal government is seeking to punish our residents and small businesses with higher electric rates through unnecessary regulation. The Granite State already has among the highest energy costs in the nation, and this federal mandate will make these costs even higher and make it harder to expand our economy. If President Obama is truly interested in helping create new jobs, he will stop his overzealous regulatory agency immediately. We accept the fact that the Obama Administration will not be assisting our country in allowing businesses to create new jobs. In New Hampshire, all we ask is that it not actively work to prevent job growth. The working families of New Hampshire simply can’t afford a $15 a year hit in their wallets.” – House Speaker William O’Brien

“This is just one more example of government regulation running amok. The Obama Administration, without any data to support their findings and 14 years late, decided that the electric ratepayers should be stuck with an additional cost of $15 each year. This is a hidden federal tax increase through a heavy-handed mandate. This is just the type of regulation that House Republicans have been fighting, as we passed 43 new laws this year to reduce bureaucracy and red tape. While we are making it easier to grow the economy, Democrats in Washington are pushing job-killing regulations to knock our fragile economy back on its knees. This crushing federal mandate needs to be lifted now, and we call on President Obama and Senator Shaheen, who is a member of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, to stop this absurd and outrageous assault on New Hampshire electric ratepayers.” – House Majority Leader DJ Bettencourt

Author: Amanda Markell

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  • DickNH

    The Obama Administration, without any data to support their findings
    and 14 years late, decided that the electric ratepayers should be stuck
    with an additional cost of $15 each year.  This is just the sort of nonsense and plain lying that O’Brien and Bettencourt are famous for.  Contrary to what they say, there has been EXTENSIVE data and research put into the decision to come forward with this rule.  The reason it’s 14 years late, if it is late, is that legislators have been battling tooth and nail to prevent this public health protecting rule from seeing the light of day.  It is they who have delayed and attempted to obfuscate the problem that these old power plants are causing to public health every single day.  Neither O’Brien nor Bettencourt produced one single shred of data to support their conclusion that this regulation is “unnecessary”.  That’s because they are speaking off the cuff and from the right wing playbook that has predetermined that ANY regulation designed to protect public health and safety that might in any way interfere with corporate profit is “unnecessary”.  You both are shameful examples of opening your mouths and firmly inserting your feet.

  • Chuck

    Well, that’s what PSNH gets for insisting on holding onto an old, dirty and expensive coal burning power plant. They should have sold it when they had the chance. And, thanks to Jeb Bradley and others, consumers can buy their power elsewhere. They are no longer shackld to the big monopoly.  http://www.ResidentPower.com

  • Melanied347

    Am they are scientists and environmental experts? so they think..and they can put a price tag on the health of the nation.