New Hampshire gets funding for renewable energy projects

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — New Hampshire’s Democratic congressional delegation has announced nearly $600,000 for a range of renewable energy projects.

Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan and Reps. Annie Kuster and Chris Pappas said the state will receive $577,276 in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of Rural Development. The funding will go to nine farms and businesses throughout the state.

The funding will allow them to either improve the energy efficiency of their operations or purchase renewable energy systems.

Shaheen says the federal funding will help farmers and small business owners reduce their energy use and costs while stepping up their use of renewable energy.

Hassan, meanwhile, said the funding puts a spotlight on small businesses and farms that are “part of the lifeblood of communities across New Hampshire.” By helping reduce their energy costs, she said it helps them thrive.

Kuster called the funding “win-win for our environment, our economy, and the health of Granite Staters, and it’s key to combating climate change.”