Conservation NH will host briefings on NH Coal Dependency and NH Voter Polling on Climate Legislation in its offices on May 20th at 2:00 PM.

We all know that NH produces no oil and that every dollar we import to heat our homes and run our cars flows out of state and out of the US, draining New Hampshire jobs and economic prosperity. Ditto for coal. A major new report, “Burning Coal, Burning Cash,” by Union of Concerned Scientists, will document New Hampshire’s spending on coal imported from other states and nations.

In addition, Conservation New Hampshire Executive Director Jim O’Brien will present recent polling data his organization commissioned along with Clean Air-Cool Planet in April on New Hampshire voter attitudes towards national climate legislation.

Coal Dependency Report Overview:

The report will provide several different yardsticks of the coal-import burden on the New Hampshire economy and will compare coal spending to our much smaller spending in New Hampshire on a lower-cost energy source that produces several times more New Hampshire jobs: energy efficiency. The report will show that New Hampshire ranks number one in coal import-dependency among the states by one yardstick and in the top ten by another.

Alan Nogee and Ken Colburn will present the UCS report and additional data on the economic impact of New Hampshire’s heavy reliance on imported coal as an energy source.

Alan Nogee is Union of Concerned Scientists Director of Climate and Energy Strategy and Policy, Climate and Energy Program and a lead expert on the coal imports report. Alan Nogee brings more than 30 years of experience to UCS as an energy analyst and advocate. He has testified on environmental and clean energy issues before subcommittees of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, and legislatures or regulatory agencies in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire and New Jersey. He has assisted organizations throughout the country involved in developing clean energy policy. Mr. Nogee serves on the national Green Power Board, which oversees the Green-e certification process, and on the board of directors of Wind Energy Works! and the Renewable Energy Policy Project.

Ken Colburn launched Symbiotic Strategies, an independent consultancy, in early 2005 to pursue his professional interest in climate change, energy, public policy, and the intersection of environmental and economic opportunity. Since then, Ken has helped lead several state climate action planning processes with the Center for Climate Strategies and provided strategic assistance to foundations, progressive companies, and non-governmental organizations in their efforts to address climate and energy issues.

Previously Ken was Executive Director of the Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management (NESCAUM), and prior to that he led the Air Resources Division of the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES). Before joining NHDES in 1995, Ken was Vice President of Energy and Environmental Policy at the Business & Industry Association of New Hampshire (BIA).

Event Details:

Thursday, May 20

2:00 pm

Offices of Conservation New Hampshire, 88 North Main Street, Ste 303-304, Concord

Further information:

Jim Rubens, Union of Concerned Scientists (603) 359-3300

Jim O’Brien, Conservation New Hampshire (603) 228-1970