Energy and the Durham Master
Plan: Seeking input (11/10)
As Durham moves forward with its update of
the Master Plan 2000, active participation from the community at large
will be critical. One way you can make your voice heard is to send the
Energy Committee comments about energy-related topics that you think
should be addressed. Please contact us at dec@ci.durham.nh.us see below for more on the master
plan update process.
Electricity savings in the
works (11/10)
The Durham Energy Committee has partnered
with the Town Administrator to research potential savings from
switching suppliers for the Town's electricity. After several meetings
with potential suppliers, the Town has contracted with Constellation
NewEnergy at an anticipated annual savings of approximately $43,000.
The Energy Committee is also pleased to
report that these savings may be compounded by energy efficiency
measures undertaken by the Department of Public Works at the Wastewater
Treatment Plant — the largest single municipal user of electricity —
that may reduce the Town's consumption of electricity.
Durham adopts PACE-enabling
legislation (11/10)
On November 1, 2010, the Durham Town
Council adopted the provisions of New Hampshire's RSA 53-F (see House
Bill 1554). In addition, it also designated Durham in its
entirety as an "Energy Efficiency and Clean Energy District." At this
time, it appears that Durham is the first municipality in New Hampshire
to take these steps. These measures pave the way for the Durham Energy
Committee to move forward a Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE)
program, which will provide the opportunity for more property owners to
finance significant energy-efficient retrofitting and/or progressive
improvements. Stay tuned for updates!
Vacancies:
Interested in becoming a member?
The Durham
Energy Committee currently has vacancies. We invite you to apply,
whether or not you are a resident of Durham — particularly those with
expertise in a related field. Contact the Town Administrator’s office
at 603-868-5771 or go to the home page of the Town website at
http://www.ci.durham.nh.us/ to download the application (scroll down
the page).
The Committee
welcomes public attendance at our regular meetings. For further
information or to provide suggestions, please contact the Committee by
email at dec@ci.durham.nh.us
In mid-2008, the Durham Planning Board
requested that the Energy Committee draft a chapter of the Master Plan
to steer the actions of the town with respect to energy. Across the
state, towns are making choices either to integrate their energy goals
into existing chapters of their master plans or to add a separate, new
chapter. The Durham Energy Committee has chosen the latter approach but
intends to follow closely the updating of the existing chapters and to
advise accordingly to ensure consistency. An important component of developing the Master Plan is public input
and public involvement. The Plan reflects the will of a town’s
residents. Make sure that your voice is heard. One way is to join the
Committee — which currently has two vacancies — while the Master Plan
is being developed. Another way is to volunteer to work on a specific
related project. A third way is to attend our public hearings, listen
to what your neighbors have to say and give us your own input — all
ideas are welcome.
The first of these public hearings was held
in the Durham Town Council chambers on September 23, 2008. At the
second public hearing, held on November 19, about 30 members of the
community joined us for a conversation on how Durham can ensure its
economic vitality and energy stability and reduce its environmental
impact. The Committee has analyzed the many terrific ideas brought
forth at that meeting. These primarily fell out into three topics —
Transportation; Land Use and Architecture; and Alternative and
Renewable Energy. As we continue our work in drafting Durham’s Energy
Vision and Master Plan, we will use these topics as working titles for
what we are calling the Three Pillars of our vision.
This is a critical time in our history — and
other small New Hampshire towns, as well as for countries around the
globe. Energy is at the heart of many issues that we all face going
forward. Our current dependence on fossil fuel influences both our
personal and our municipal decisions. The Durham Energy Committee
believes that it is incumbent upon Durham, as a town, to face the
challenges associated with energy use and climate change and to plan
for a more sustainable future.
On March 13, 2007 the voters of the Town of
Durham adopted the New Hampshire Climate Change Resolution by a margin
of 1447 for and 254 against. The New Hampshire Climate Change
Resolution contained the following paragraph: “In addition, the town of
Durham encourages New Hampshire citizens to work for emission
reductions within their communities, and we ask our Town Council to
consider the appointment of a voluntary energy committee to recommend
local steps to save energy and reduce emissions.”
The Durham Town Council, the governing body
of the Town, on April 23, 2007 adopted Resolution #2007-14 creating an
advisory committee called the Energy Committee Steering Committee to
advise the council on ways to reduce energy use, develop alternative
energy sources, and increase the economic security and energy
independence of the town.
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