A 100% RENEWABLE ENERGY PLAN FOR KEENE, NH

4/28/18

Written by:

Jake Kondrat, Taylor White, Hannah Rettig, and Anthony Ruggiero

Table of Contents

Abstract

Section 1: Justification

Section 2: Our vision of what Keene looks like with 100%RE

Section 3: Respecting and Improving Energy Justice

Section 4: Conclusion

References

1
Abstract
The impacts of climate change have had potentially irreversible effects on our
planet. To combat these effects, there are a number of processes our world can adopt.
One of these processes is a City wide transition to 100% renewable energy. Keene, NH
is currently looking to develop an energy plan to reach this goal. This paper explains
why the global society and the City of Keene must switch to renewables. We also
present our vision for what a 100% RE Keene looks like. The necessity of energy justice
will be analyzed through examining distributional, recognition, and procedural justice.
Finally, suggestions will be made on where funding for this transition could come from,
and where political forces to support this goal can originate from.

2
Section 1: Justification

Energy Security

Sustainability

Debatably the biggest downfall to our reliance on fossil fuels is found within the

name itself, “fossil.” Coal, oil, and natural gas take millions of years to develop in order

to become usable energy sources. The process requires plant life to die and remain

contained in an ideal geological formation with the right amount of heat and pressure

and a lot of time. Sustainable energy is defined as an energy system that is able to

meet the needs of the people today, without compromising the ability of future

generations to meet their needs (Lemaire, 2010). Because fossil fuels take millions of

years to develop, it would be impossible for us to create a system that would allow us to

constantly create new fossil fuels for future energy use. Once it is gone, we will never

get it back. According to Business Standard, it is predicted that we only have 53 years

left of oil, 54 years of natural gas, and 110 years left of coal (Singh, 2015). If we want to

see a future world where we all have a consistent and safe supply of fuel sources to

meet the ever increasing demand for energy, we must make the change from the

outdated ways of the past, and start building for the future, and we need to do in now.

Smart Grid System

Another major concern with fossil fuels is the way that our electricity is currently

distributed, in a system that is commonly referred to as the grid. The grid focuses on

having a handful of extremely large energy production stations throughout the country,

and these large stations distribute energy to a wide array of places. Currently it is only a

3
one way street, with the energy only flowing from the power plants to the energy users.

This system comes with a multitude of issues, most notably how inefficient it is. The

second rule of thermodynamics states that any time energy changes form, some of it

will be lost as heat (All About, 2002). So whenever electricity is being created, no matter

how it is being done, it is impossible for it to be 100% efficient. However electricity

provided by fossils fuels tend only be about 33% efficient, losing ⅔ of the potential

energy. A lot of that loss stems from the fact that after the electricity is produced, it has

to travel a large distance to power homes and businesses, losing more and more

energy the further it has to go.(Metcalfe, 2017). There is also the fact that there is a lack

of electricity storage in our current system, and that energy is only produced when there

is a demand for it. When you flip a light switch on in your house, a power plant just

started to burn a little bit more coal. These systems aren’t designed to store any sort of

extra energy in an emergency.

A smart grid though seeks to help solve some of these issues. The idea of a

smart grid is to break down the outdated idea of having a one way street when it comes

to energy production, and to instead intertwine the idea of producer and consumer. This

system plays off of the idea that energy production and consumption can be done

simultaneously by everyone in a local area (U.S. Department of Energy, 2017). Let’s

say Keene becomes 100% renewable: residents and businesses have solar panels on

their roofs, there are wind turbines, hydro power, and even geothermal power all being

produced. All of these different sources would all contribute to the Keene grid, and

many of the consumers of that electricity would also be producers. The electricity

doesn’t have to get shipped in from some inefficient out of state power plant, it can be

4
all produced and consumed locally. If too much is produced, it can be stored and saved

for an emergency situation. It would allow for our town to become energy independent,

and self-sustainable, as well as increase potential for advancement.

Economic Benefits

Job Creation

There is more than just energy security that comes from switching to sustainable

energy, there are also large economic benefits as well. One of the most notable

economic benefits of sustainable energy is the amount of jobs created by the industry.

There are some people in our country who enjoy promoting the coal industry, and

talking about all of the jobs that come from that industry, most notably our President.

However an article by the Washington Post found that the US coal industry is home to

only about 76,000 jobs. Car dealerships, museums, radio stations, casinos, travel

agencies, breweries and wineries all individually exceed this job total (Ingraham, 2017).

Meanwhile the solar power industry currently employs over 260,000 Americans, almost

three and a half times as many jobs as the coal industry. Even still the wind power

industry has over 100,000 jobs, and an article by NREL published that wind power

technician was the fastest growing job in the country (Richardson, 2018). According to

the Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts, $1,000

invested in solar produces 14 jobs, compared to coal and natural gas which only

produces 5-7 jobs (Renewable Energy Corporation, 2018). This has to do with the fact

that renewable resources are more labor intensive, they require human installation, and

technicians to maintain them, resulting in more jobs per dollar spent (Richardson, 2018).

5
Economic Stimulation

There are more economic benefits to renewable energy than simply job creation.

Investment benefits the economy as a whole. The International Renewable Energy

Agency (IRENA), reported that if shares in renewable energy were to double by the year

2030, the global GDP could raise by about 1.1%, which is equal to $1.3 trillion

(International Renewable Energy Agency, 2016). Another report released by the Center

for Renewable Energy at Illinois State University found that the 23 largest wind farms in

Illinois will bring an influx of almost $6 billion over their lifetime to the local economies

(Kasper, 2018). It doesn’t end there, the Union of Concerned Scientists did an analysis

on the economic results of implementing a national standard of 25% renewable energy

by the year 2025. It resulted in “$263.4 billion in new capital investment for RE

[Renewable Energy] technologies, $13.5 billion in new landowner income from biomass

production and/or wind land lease payments, and $11.5 billion in new property tax

revenue for local communities” (Union of Concerned Scientist, 2017).

Lower Energy Cost

There is also the fact that renewable energy has the ability to save people

money. We have already established the fact that there is a finite amount of fossil fuels

in the world, and as we use more and more of our fossil fuel resources, the harder and

harder it becomes for us to obtain it. We will have to dig deeper and look further, the

process will grow and become more intricate, costing the fossil fuels companies more

money. Increased costs are shifted onto our electric bills. Additionally, investing in

6
sustainable energy can save families money. While there is an initial investment cost of

installing the solar panels, they have a lifetime of around 30 years, and take on average

only five years to pay themselves off. A company by the name Mosaic has estimated

that, on average, a home that installs solar panels saves around $67,000 over the life of

the panels (Renewable Energy Corporation, 2018). That's about $2,700 every year that

stays in a families pockets, instead of going to the fossil fuel industry.

Quality of Life

Fossil Fuels has been linked to a multitude of negative health effects on humans,

including, but not limited to, breathing problems, heart attacks, neurological damage,

cancer and even premature death. There is the obvious fact that it is unfair that people

die due to fossil fuels, but there is the less obvious fact that these health problems are

also very expensive. A study conducted by Harvard University even found that the life

cycle cost of coal is around $74.6 billion dollars every year (Epstein et al., 2011). People

living in regions with coal-mining in the area have shown an elevation in circulatory,

central nervous system, respiratory, gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal, and urogenital

issues, as well as birth defects (Ahern, et al., 2011).

Increasing breathing problems

One of the most obvious impacts to humans that comes from the use of fossil

fuels is the impact on breathing. People who have been exposed to coal dust have been

linked to higher risks of respiratory diseases and lung cancer (Climate Nexus, 2017).

One of the most notable issues is the increase risk of developing asthma when exposed

7
to compounds released by fossil fuels (PowerUP, 2017). McMaster University in

Canada conducted a study that found when older adults are exposed to sulfur dioxide,

nitrogen dioxide, and particulate matter from vehicle pollution they had an increased risk

of getting pneumonia (American Thoracic Society, 2009). In China the air can be so bad

that people need to wear protective equipment to keep themselves safe.

Impacts on drinking water

Another major impact that comes from fossil fuels involves water. Fossil fuel

plants use water in their process of generating power and fracking requires the

extensive use of water in order to collect natural gas. By eliminating these two this

would allow for water sources to be used for other critical needs, such as agriculture

and drinking water. When oil and gas are extracted from the Earth, water that has been

trapped deep in the ground is brought to the surface. This water naturally carries

dissolved solids, heavy metals, hydrocarbons, and radioactive materials, which are

unsuitable for human consumption (Union of Concerned Scientist, 2016). While fossil

fuels may cause all of these negative effects to humans as well as the environment,

renewables have next to nothing in terms of negative health. Solar energy doesn’t

require the use of water, nor does it poison it.

Climate Change

Increasing temperatures

The increase of global temperature is due to our heavy reliance of fossil fuels.

How does this work exactly? Well in order to understand what is happening, we have to

8
understand what the greenhouse effect is, and how it plays into all of this. As solar rays

enter our atmosphere, some are absorbed by the Earth. However not all of it is, and the

energy that isn’t absorbed is reflected back towards space. Again though, not all of it is

able to break out of our atmosphere, and it is instead reflected back towards the Earth.

The reason for this is due to what something called greenhouse gases. These gases

are a natural and vital part of our atmosphere, and play a critical role in regulating our

climate.

Now enter the fossil fuel burning power plants. These power plants all run off of

the same process, combustion. Whether it be coal, oil, or gas, we burn the fuel to heat

up water into highly pressurized steam. That steam is use to turn a turbine, generating

electricity, which is sent out into the grid and is used to power everything. From the

lights in this room, to you phone charger, even to the massive billboards on Time

Square, burning these fuels powers our very way of life. But, it comes at a major cost.

Burning of all of these fuels in such massive quantities comes with many side effects,

but the biggest is the gigantic release of carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is a

greenhouse gas, one of the important gases that helps trap heat in our atmosphere.

With almost 38.2 billion tons of it released into our atmosphere every year, (which is

equal to 2.4 million pounds every second), (CBS, 2012). our planet doesn’t have

enough time to regulate how much of it is in the atmosphere, so it adds to the massive

blanket of greenhouse gases that traps heat trying to leave. Increase in greenhouse

gases, leads to an increase in heat trapped, causing global temperatures to increase.

This is what climate change is at its core.

9
2 Degrees Celsius

Scientist who have spend their lives studying the effects of increasing

temperatures due to climate change have estimated that when average global

temperatures rise by 2 degrees celsius that we will begin to see radical change in our

climates as we know them. Currently we have raises temperatures by about 1 degree.

Suess Effect

The Suess effect helps to prove that the increase in temperatures on Earth are

being caused by human influence. This has to do with the fact that there are three

different isotopes of carbon. Carbon 12, Carbon 13 and Carbon 14. Of these three

carbon 14 is radioactive, and is used in carbon dating of fossils. So the older something

gets, the less carbon 14 that something will have in it. Keeping this in mind, we can

safely say that coal will have low concentration of carbon 14. A scientist by the name of

Suess was trying to prove that increasing temperatures was due to humans burning

fossil fuels, when he came up with something that I would qualify as genius. He found

trees that were hundreds of years old, and took core samples from them. He then tested

how much of the wood was made with carbon 12, 13, and 14. What he found was that

over the past few decades the concentration of carbon 14 has been decreasing,

because we are burning coal with very little carbon 14. Helping to prove that the

increasing temperatures is due to humans. (Keeling, 2003)

10
 Figure 1. The Suess Effect, (Image Source: Chegg, 2003)

Positive Feedback Loops

As global temperatures continue to raise, we will see the melting of what is

commonly referred to as permafrost. Permafrost is defined as “perennially frozen

subsoil” in the arctic or subarctic regions (Dictionary.com, 2010). This frost is home to

methane, which is a greenhouse gas. This creates a positive feedback loop, which is a

process that continuously builds upon itself. As average temperatures continue to rise,

permafrost begins to melt, which releases methane. That methane allows the Earth to

get hotter, causing more permafrost to melt, releasing more methane, heating up the

Earth, etc.

Ice melt plays off the same idea. There are two major different types of ice, land

ice, and sea ice. Sea ice melt does not result in higher sea levels, while land ice melt

does. Think of it this way, if you pour yourself a glass of water with ice in it and the ice

melts does the glass overflow? No. However if you fill one glass with water, and a

11
different one with ice, and the ice melts and is poured into the other glass will it

overflow? Yes. Sea level rise is also an issue, causing negative effects on people's

properties and natural ecosystems. Both land and sea ice melt do contribute to their

own positive feedback loop. This loop is based off of the albedo effect, which is the

ability of a surface to reflect sunlight. Ice is more reflective than water, so as more ice

melts, less light is reflected, heating up the Earth. As the Earth heats up more ice will

melt, causing less light to be reflected, heating up the Earth, etc.

Negative Environmental Effects

Ocean Acidification

The ocean absorbs about a quarter of the CO2 in the atmosphere, as the CO2

level rise, the levels in the ocean rise too. (PMEL Carbon Program, 2017). As the ocean

absorbs this gas, a chemical process is begun, a process that yields an increased

concentration of hydrogen ions. (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,

2013). As hydrogen concentrations continue to grow, pH decreases. pH is essentially a

measurement of the concentration of hydrogen atoms in a solutions, the lower the pH,

the more hydrogen atoms, the more acidic the solution. Studies have shown that a

decrease of pH can have detrimental effect of the life in the ocean. Shells can dissolve,

ability to detect prey/predators can decrease, and some species will have an increased

risk of proper development. (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 2013).

These things only scratch the surface of all the negative impacts that can be found with

ocean acidification.

12
Acid Rain

Acid rain is caused by lowering the pH of the water while it is being formed in the

clouds. This is due to the releasing of pollutants known as SO2 and NOx, both are

caused by emissions from burning of fossil fuel, manufacturing, and vehicles (EPA,

2017). As these chemical are released into the atmosphere, they mix with water vapor,

lowing its pH. Ecosystems and the animals living within them, are very sensitive to

change, and pH plays a vital role in many different ecosystems. Which means lowering

the pH of water, could have strong negative effects on a species, and could potentially

bring their life to an end.

Strip mining

Fossil fuels can have strong negative impacts on the environment, not just from

the burning of the fuels and all the damage that can cause, but also through the process

of gathering the materials. The process of gathering coal can be detrimental to the

environment, usually through the process of strip mining. Strip mining goes against

traditionally mining, which is going down into the mountain and gathering the coal. While

strip mining, or mountaintop removal, involves just completely demoluting the mountain.

Completely destroying the environment, killing life, and setting back the ecosystem

hundreds of years, possibly never to fully recover again. (Fears, 2010).

Oil drilling (on/offshore)

Oil drilling also has strong negative effects on ecosystems, both onshore and

offshore. This comes in the form of spills, which can have truly detrimental impacts on

13
all different forms of life. Not to mention the fact about the these spills take long periods

of time to clean on, and are increadly expensive. (The Wilderness Society, 2017)

Fracking

Hydraulic Fracturing, or fracking, is the process of breaking apart shale rock in an

attempt to collect natural gas from the ground. This involves drilling deep into the

ground and releasing a mixture of water with special sand, and hundreds of chemicals

into the rock. (Shale Stuff, 2013). This however, has been linked to multiple different

negative side effects. The most notable of these is the increase of earthquakes in areas

where fracking is taking place. One of the most evident areas would be the state of

Oklahoma, which is one of the leading fracking states in the country. Oklahoma used to

experience on average two earthquakes every year throughout the entire state, now

after fracking was introduced, they experience about two earthquakes every day.

(Brennan, 2015)

Targets

All of these justifications are only the highlights of why fossil fuels are obsolete in

comparison to renewable energy. The more you read into these things, the more it

seems like there are essentially an endless amount of reasons to make this change.

This is why we would like to see Keene go to 100% sustainable energy in the near

future. We believe we can hit these two targets; the first is to get to 100% renewable

electricity reliance by 2030, and 100% heating and transportation reliance on

renewables by 2045.

14
Section 2: Our vision of what Keene looks like with 100% RE

New Hampshire’s total energy consumption has gone down since the mid 2000s

(New Hampshire Government n.d.). This might be explained by an increase in energy

efficient appliances and warmer winters which require less energy to be used for

heating of homes. (New Hampshire Government n.d.). While lower energy consumption

is a good thing, the goal is to get to 100% renewable energy sources for all our energy

demands. Amazingly enough the entire residential sector can be powered by solar

panels in Keene alone. This includes all electricity needed to power household lighting,

appliances, space heating (heat pumps), hot water heating and transportation if

everyone were to get an electric car.

The average household in the United States uses 10,766 kWh of electricity

annually (EIA, n.d.). The total number of households in Keene are 10,361 (U.S. Census,

2016). By multiplying the average energy consumption by the number of households in

Keene we are able to determine that the approximate total electricity consumption by

the residential sector per year is 111,547 MWh. We are going to assume this number is

for lighting and appliances only.

A combination of household rooftop and traditional ground solar will need to be

implemented to meet this electric demand. Also assumptions about the amount of

homes that can be outfitted with rooftop solar and about the average generation of each

solar panel will have to be made since there is no alloted time to do data collection.

Let’s assume that the average solar panel can produce 325 Watts, with a

capacity factor of 0.15, and that only 30% (3,108) households are facing south making

15
them suitable for rooftop solar and that each house can install 24 panels each. With

these assumptions we can calculate the amount of electricity that will be generated from

rooftop solar in Keene annually. 325 Watts*24 panels per house*3,108 households*24

hours/day*365 days/year*0.15 capacity factor = 31,855 MWh/year generated by rooftop

solar. That solves only 28.6% of our residential lighting and appliance electricity

demands. The remaining electricity will have to be generated by ground solar.

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) finds that the average

ground solar installation can generate 325 MWh/acre/year (Ong, S. et al., 2013). To

determine the amount of ground solar needed to supply the residential sector with its

remaining 79,692 MWh of annual electricity demand we divide the 79,692 MWh

remaining by 325 MWh/acre/year to get 245 acres of ground solar needed. Similarly if

all cars owned by residents of Keene were electric, they could all be powered by solar

panels as well.

As of 2016 there are 3,783 households with 1 car, 4,017 households with 2 cars

and 1,512 households with 3+ cars (U.S. Census, 2016). For simplicity we will say there

are 1,512 households with only 3 cars, no more. This equates the total number of car in

Keene to be 16,353. To calculate the acres of solar needed to power 16,353 fully

electric cars we first to find out how many miles are driven on average by the people in

Keene and how much energy it takes an electric car to travel one mile.

According to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) the average American

drives 13,476 miles a year. By taking the average number of miles driven a year by the

total number of cars in Keene we get 220,373,028 miles driven every year by the

households in Keene that own cars. Averaging ten different car models efficiencies we

16
were able to calculate that the average electric car on the road today uses 314Wh/mile

(Herron, D. 2017). 220,373,028 miles*314Wh/mile = 69,197 MWh/year need to power

all electric vehicles in Keene. This would require a total of 213 acres of solar to meet

this energy demand.

In similar fashion to both household electricity and transportation, all of Keene’s

hot water and household heating and cooling needs could also be met with solar

panels.

Figure 2. Heat Pump Diagram, http://bse.ie/heat-pumps/

A heat pump can be used to both cool and heat homes depending on time of

year and preference simply by flipping a switch (Figure 2.) We will assume that all

houses in Keene will require a 3 ton heat pump, which we will assume draws 8,325

kWh/year. 10,361 households*8,325 kWh/year = 86,255 MWh/year. That would require

267 acres of solar to meet this demand.

Just like heating and cooling the interior of your house, a secondary heat pump

can be installed to supply all the hot water residents will need for the year. We assume

that the heat pump system required for hot water only uses 1,289 kWh/year compared

17
to the 8,325 kWh/year heat pumps used to heat/cool all rooms. 10,361

households*1,289 kWh/year = 13,355 MWh/year to power all hot water heaters which

equates to 42 acres of solar panels.

In total all of Keene’s residential sector could be powered by completely by 767

acres (Table 1.) of ground solar. This number may seem like a lot however it is only

3.23% of Keene’s 23,744 acres (New Hampshire Employment Security, 2017).

Table 1. Breakdown and Total of MWh and Acres of Ground Solar Needed for Residential Sector

MWh Acres
Appliances & Lighting 79,692 245
Rooftop Solar 31,885 0

Transportation 69,197 213

Heating & Cooling 86,255 267

Hot Water 13,355 42

Total 248,499 767

A common misconception might be that to accommodate all of these solar

panels the City would have to cut down 767 acres of forests, however that is not the

case. By utilizing Brownfield sites, parking lots and some roadways Keene would be

able to take care of around 230.07 acres, the remaining 536.91 acres of Keene could be

put in smaller parking lots, private fields and by cutting down forests (Figure 3). Even

though Keene’s residential sector could be powered by solar panels alone, it would

18
make more sense for Keene to use a combination of wind, water and solar to meet their

energy demands.

Figure 3. Map of potential solar locations in Keene, NH

19
Section 3: Respecting and Improving Energy Justice

Distributional Justice

Global Level

It might not seem so at first but there are global benefits to Keene, NH going

100% renewable. The biggest benefit comes from the 100% reduction of emissions like

carbon dioxide into the air, which gets blown all over the Earth every day. That means

that even the pollution we produce in the United States could have impacts across the

world. As explained above, emissions from nearly every aspect of our daily lives impact

climate change. We are starting to see the effects of climate change on a global scale

through sea level rise, melting permafrost, desertification, and natural disasters. If our

City stops contributing to climate change through emissions reductions, we could be

saving people across the world who are experiencing the effects of climate change

earlier than us. Those in the pacific island nations might have a better chance of

surviving with slower sea level rise, and countries like Syria and Egypt that are

experiencing famine from desertification might be able to relocate before thousands,

even millions starve. The impacts of our energy use in the small City of Keene are not

direct, but we can indirectly save thousands of lives around the world by going 100%

renewable.

However, there could still be some harms with going 100% renewable. Though

we will be using 100% renewable energy sources, solar panels oftentimes are

manufactured in countries like China and shipped here. Purchasing solar panels could

still encourage exploitation of natural resources on our environment, as well as

20
supporting exploitative labor in countries where it is cheaper to process. Also, after the

20-25 year life span of a solar panel, there is currently no use for it. Will those panels be

thrown away or discarded in order to buy new panels? There could be harms to the

environment by discarding all of our solar panels in landfills in 20 years. Or can the

panels be recycled in some way to further increase the life cycle of solar panels? These

things have not been thoroughly analyzed yet.

Local Level

The benefits of a 100% renewable Keene are much more clear when viewed on

a local level. With a reduction in fossil fuel use, and the reductions of local emissions

from, for example cars, there would be less air pollution. Keene suffers from air

inversions, which can cause the levels of particulate matter in certain areas to rise

above the acceptable federal level. This is harmful to human health, and endangers

those that have certain preexisting health conditions. A big factor in our air quality

comes releasing smoke from burning wood during the winter. If Keene were to switch to

renewable energy there is a chance that the electrification of heating homes would allow

residential homeowners to reduce their amount of wood burning, which would increase

air quality.

Keene would also benefit from greater energy independence. With the current

fossil fuel energy provided by Eversource, each home is connected to its distribution

grid, and relies on it for electricity. If storms or other issues happen, all the houses

connected to the Eversource grid are at risk of losing power. Renewables allow users to

go directly to the source, and are less vulnerable to power outages on a town wide

level. Other benefits are the increase of renewable jobs in the area like solar installation,

21
consultation, and etc. Lastly, not only would higher income families benefit from

renewables, but with community solar programs and other incentives its possible for

even low-income families to benefit from a 100% renewable city.

On the other hand, we must acknowledge some harms that might come from

transitioning to 100% renewables on a local level. The fossil fuel industry would

experience the most harmful effects. Employees of Eversource, distribution truck

drivers, those that maintain the energy grid, and others will probably lose their jobs.

Contracting businesses that work in the fossil fuel industry, some local businesses and

gas stations will be pressed for business (that is with the expectation that everyone will

be driving electric cars at some point).

Another direct impact from solar is the potential loss of land. Who will this come

from? This could be farmers, private land owners, or maybe even the town who gives

up City property to make room for ground mounted solar panels. The transition to

renewable resources is called a transition for a reason. We cannot say, “too bad” to all

those who will be harmed by the shift in energy resources, and expect them to adapt.

We must figure out ways to help them transition to a City run on different resources, and

that takes time. The injustices currently being put on our world and our communities by

fossil fuels are tragic and numerous. By transitioning to renewables we are alleviating

many on these injustices, and by helping those that could be harmed by renewable

resources, we are ensuring that justice is more evenly distributed between us all.

Recognition Justice

Recognition justice looks to ensure that all stakeholders are being included in the

process, and are taken seriously as a legitimate voice on the issues. When it comes to

22
recognition justice related to energy, oftentimes groups that have been marginalized,

been given unfair access to resources, or been quieted in some way are those most

likely to experience inequality in the energy field. Here in Keene there are a couple of

groups that must be considered when figuring out how to transition to renewables.

According to the U.S Census on Keene, NH (U.S Census Bureau, n.d.),

approximately 48% of Keene residents are renters. This is important because nearly

half of those that live in Keene do not own their households, and are leased under

landlords. Oftentimes, there is less incentive by both landlord and tenant to care about

energy conservation, efficiency, and renewables. Landlords might not feel it is

necessary to switch to a renewable energy source when their tenant is the one paying

for the energy, and under lease are legally obliged to pay whatever bill that is.

Adversely, tenants can be at the mercy of landlords who have the ability to increase

average rent based on demand (mostly from college students looking to live off

campus). Renters have not been thoroughly recognized as equal players in decision

making processes in the past, and end up paying for houses that are inadequately

weatherized, equipped with inefficient appliances, and therefore can feel like they are

forced to pay a high utility/monthly rent bill as a consequence. Going forward it will be

essential to add both local landlords, and renters into the conversation of energy

transitioning.

Second is the low-income or impoverished people in Keene. Often victims of

distributional injustice as well as recognition injustice, low income areas must be

included in the transition to a 100% renewable Keene. With nearly 16% (U.S Census

Bureau) of Keene residents living in poverty, we will need to recognize them, and how

23
to get them into the conversation. This group will most likely benefit the most from

community solar programs where they will not have to pay large amounts of money

upfront for personal residential solar panels. There are probably more groups that will

make themselves known to be in need of recognition justice during the decision making

process in the future. All we can do is give them the opportunity to voice their concerns,

and include them in this process in whatever way is possible.

Procedural Justice

The third tenet of energy justice is procedural justice. This involves making sure

that when it is time to make decisions, every stakeholder is fairly involved. For our

energy vision, the core of Keene’s energy will come from solar. In order to make a plan

for how to transition to mostly solar energy, we first must know our current levels of

energy use, and who is using the most energy. According to the Keene 2018

Greenhouse Gas Report (Southwest Region Planning Commission, 2018), nearly 98%

of all emissions produced in Keene are produced in the community sector, while only

about 2% of emissions come from the municipality. While this doesn’t show actual

energy use, this shows that while the City government must take every action to reduce

their emissions, more time and effort should be focused on the residential/community

sector in order to really take a hit at making emissions reductions. The municipality can

serve as an example and an educator for the benefits of transitioning to renewables as

they have already made a 25% decrease in their total emissions.

When thinking about how to implement the decision making process we must

make sure we are coming from a number of different levels. The diagram provided is an

Energy Equity Assessment Tool (EEAT) (Adams & Bell, 2015) that shows a number of

24
factors that should be considered simultaneously to make sure energy justice is

happening.

Figure 4. Energy Equity Assessment Tool

Evaluating the energy needs of the City will be an essential starting point in

understanding the scope of this campaign. By finding how much energy is being

currently used by residents will help make an estimate for how much solar energy will

be needed to produce that demand. Energy needs can also apply to energy

conservation. What are the required needs when it comes to energy use, and what are

some luxuries we have taken for granted that could be potentially sacrificed in order to

conserve energy. For example, running the dishwasher or clothes washer at low

demand times like at night time, instead of during peak demand time in the mornings

and evenings. Energy conservation could also include using the clothes dryer less, and

letting clothes air dry instead. Find out what people deem as energy needs versus

25
wants, and help people understand the benefits to the the entire system if they conserve

energy.

We must be aware of the current renewable technology, and understand what is

within the realms of possibility with this transition. For example, while providing solar for

the residential sector might be possible by 2035, transitioning to electric vehicles will

take longer. This is because the EV infrastructure and affordable EV cars are not widely

available yet. By keeping this at the forefront of consideration, it will be easier to plan

out a timeline of goals for the whole city.

Another aspect to keep in mind during this energy transition is the policy and

economic markets. Affordable solar is becoming more and more available, and with

certain economic incentives there is the opportunity to create a market that will benefit

transitioning to solar power. There is also the opportunity to create certain policies, may

it be only at the citywide level to make it possible for solar energy to thrive. It is definitely

worth a try to increase state policy efforts to make the market better for renewables.

Time must also be considered in many ways. Time in relation to setting goals,

time in relation to helping people change their mindset on renewable energy, and time

in actually making the transition to renewables. This entire process will take years to

accomplish, and it is important to keep that in mind when ensuring procedural justice.

As touched upon earlier, geography is closely tied in with distributional justice.

The placing of the solar installations around Keene must be considered by those who

might be impacted. For example, ground mounted solar installations should be in places

where all neighborhoods can access it. This means making sure trailer parks, as well as

larger suburban homes are included. Adversely, the placement of the panels must

26
ensure that no group is being harmed by it. This means making sure farmers or private

landowners are consenting to the possible use of their land for ground mounted solar,

and fully understand what risks or harms may come of it.

One possible way to start the transition process is to create a group that will be

working on making the transition possible. Right now we have a Ready for 100%

campaign that we believe will be extremely beneficial in this process. Above we have

estimated the number of households that have the capacity to put solar panels on their

roofs, and how much remaining land will then be needed to fulfill the total energy needs.

By forming two groups, there will be two different outreach programs created to

specifically cater to how to get solar panels on residential roofs, and then how to get the

remaining ground solar to the rest of the community.

We will look at how to go through the decision making process in order to get

solar panels on residential roofs. First, this group should create flyers that tell residents

that their houses qualify for a solar upgrade on their roof and go around basically

canvasing to those who have suitable roofs (this is assuming an analysis of which

physical houses are suitable for roof solar has already been done). Invite these people

to community sessions, inform them on what they would need to do, and listen to their

concerns. It will be important to make sure everyone who is able to get rooftop solar is

aware of this campaign in order to ensure recognition justice. The group can use the

diagram above to see where people’s concerns lie, and how to address them. This

could be for example, working with the local government to create whatever incentives

in their power to create tax breaks or rebates. They could also reach out to the state

government to create economic incentives on the state level. They could work with local

27
contractors or appliance stores to offer discounts on weatherizing their home or

upgrading to more efficient appliances if they get solar on their roofs. The town could

also apply for state or federal grants to help cut the initial cost of the panels.

Additionally, the Ready for 100% group could create certain social incentives, like

recognition awards to those that transition; all the while working to combat the energy

injustices that will arise. As more and more people put solar panels on their roofs, other

residents will feel incentivized to do it as well. You could even start a buddy program

where those that already have installed solar can work with a household that wants to

do it but might have certain barriers to making that happen.

The important message here is that this is a citywide transition. Some people will

have to go first, and some will go last. But throughout the entire way, there should be

communication, relationship building, and support between all community members so

that energy justice is fulfilled.

Here are some additional questions that need to be answered on how to make

our vision become a reality:

● Where will the ground solar panels go? And how will that be decided?

● How will electric cars be charged outside of the home?

● How will you get people to volunteer their time to come out to open-sessions?

● How will you go about ensuring energy justice to those part of the old energy

system? (fossil fuel industry)

● Will the town government exercise any of its power in discouraging non-

transitioning? (set higher building codes for efficiency or something else)

28
● Can city residents, city government, and commercial/industrial businesses

somehow work together so that they all benefit from transitioning?

● What other outlets will people have to ensure energy justice besides open-

sessions?

29
Section 4: Conclusion

For any progress to be made toward our goals and Keene’s renewable energy

future, there must be political forces that force action through policy change and

legislature. Both national and local politics are an important factor in an energy system

transition. Progress can come if there is incentive for change. Many of the more

successful forces of energy change that are already in place have been market based

forces such as the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), which requires the

member states to cap and reduce CO2 emissions from the power sector (RGGI, 2018).

Additional forces in place in New Hampshire are also at play. New Hampshire

does allow cities and towns to offer an exemption from residential property taxes for the

assessed value of a solar energy system, wind energy system, or central wood-fired

heating system used on the property. This policy is also tax neutral, meaning that the

homeowners in question do not have higher property taxes for installing a renewable

energy system (“Local Option - Property”, 2016).

There are several other examples of political forces driving NH’s energy

transition. In 2014, the Office of Strategic Initiatives put forth a document titled the New

Hampshire State Energy Strategy. This document is basically an overall vision for the

Office of Strategic Initiatives’ goals when it comes to RE, and while it provides no

binding commitments by the state, it does provide a goal which revolves around grid

modernization, energy efficiency, fuel diversity, and transportation change. In 2016, the

New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission issued an order approving the Energy

Efficiency Resource Standard (EERS), which does in fact provide binding commitments

on the state. It establishes long term cost-effective energy efficiency goals that demand

30
a saving of 3.1% electric sales and 2.25% gas sales by 2020. In this EERS, they use a

non-scientific term “negawatts” which refers to the amount of energy saved (Northeast

Energy Efficiency Partnerships, 2015).

Another policy which New Hampshire does adhere to is Renewable Portfolio

Standard. It requires NH to attain 25.2% of our energy from renewable sources by

2025. This is done by establishing what is called a Renewable Energy Credit (or REC)

trading system. If a state uses a certain amount of Renewables, they get RECs, and

can trade those RECs to other states. If a state cannot buy enough RECs to meet their

goals, they must buy Alternative Compliance Payments (or ACPs) which help to fund

other renewable energy programs (Renewable Portfolio Standard, 2017).

While these policies and strategies that are already in place help to begin our

energy transition, in New Hampshire unfortunately much of the driving force it has to be

from individual change in habits and individual energy choices. Nobody can force the

hand of the people in the “live free or die” state to switch to electric vehicles or to install

solar power. And investments in RE largely come from private individual investments.

Politically, New Hampshire is not very “RE friendly” so to speak. What can be done, is

attempt to get the City council to communicate with state legislatures when a key

energy related bill is being discussed. For example, Cities for Climate Protection

Committee (CCPC) is interested in 2 bills being discussed at the state legislature level

at the moment and have attempted (successfully) to get Keene’s City council to lobby

for those bills (by sending in letters).

The opposition to the renewable energy transition in this state is not hard to find,

especially when it comes to wind and solar farms. The opposition comes from several

31
places; some are concerned about a perceived correlation with high electric rates, some

will oppose any plan that mentions the words “climate change” because of how

politicized the climate change conversation has become in 2018, and there is always

resistance to any large scale change or any implementation of a new market (which

also comes with high cost). There are also those who whom are commonly referred to

as N.I.M.B.Y.s (which refers to the statement “Not in my backyard!”) who oppose any

local change in their environment such as wind turbines and solar panels.

Certain tactics have proven to work against the kind of opposition listed above.

The first point to make is the potential cost savings that could come from renewable

energy. The second is the job creation that comes about from a clean energy transition.

For example, there are already 13,000 New Hampshire clean energy jobs that are

across many different job sectors. This economic contribution from going across job

sectors is also a great way to sway opposition, because it leads to energy

independence and fuel security. In the “live free or die” state, independence is key, and

people don’t want to rely on other states for fuel. Clean energy is a good way to do that.

The driving forces of this energy transition cannot be ignored. Human caused

climate change is increasing temperatures globally, melting permafrost and ice caps

while acidifying our oceans. Sea levels are rising, and the world we live in is rapidly

changing. These changes in our world are caused in large part by our reliance on the

burning of fossil fuels to drive our energy systems. The adverse effects are not only on

the environment around us. Oil spills, drinking water contamination, and unhealthy

breathing air can all cause detrimental physical health effects on humans directly.

32
 We believe that a great way to slow the effects of climate change while making

the world around us a better place to live is to clean up our energy system and rely on

100% renewable energy in Keene. We have two targets in mind; the first is to get to

100% renewable electricity reliance by 2030, and 100% heating and transportation

reliance on renewables by 2045.

Energy justice should be included throughout the transition to renewables. By

keeping distributional justice, recognition justice, and procedural justice in the forefront

of the process energy justice will be better attained. The global benefits of Keene

transitioning to 100% renewables will largely outweigh the harms. Distributionally,

though there are some harms on the local level for Keene transitioning, again, the

benefits outweigh these harms. There are a number of groups that will need to receive

greater recognition justice, like renters and low income families. As we move forward,

there will likely be more recognition justice that needs to be address as well. Finally,

through procedural justice there are ways to create incentives for helping residents to

transition to solar. The most important thing is to create a positive network throughout

the community to make sure energy justice is fulfilled through this process.

33
References

Adams, C., & Bell, S. (2015). Local energy generation projects: assessing equity and risks.
Local Environment, 20(12), 1473-1488. doi:10.1080/13549839.2014.909797
Ahern, M. (2011, June 20). The association between mountaintop mining and birth defects
among live births in central Appalachia, 1996–2003. Retrieved April 17, 2018, from
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0013935111001484
All About. (2002). Second Law of Thermodynamics. Retrieved April 15, 2018, from
https://www.allaboutscience.org/second-law-of-thermodynamics.htm
American Thoracic Society. (2009, December 23). Pollution linked to hospitalizations for
pneumonia in older adults. Retrieved April 25, 2018, from
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-12/ats-plt121609.php
Brennan, M. (2015, April 21). Oklahoma: From two 3.0 quakes a year-to two a day. Retrieved
April 15, 2018, from https://www.cnbc.com/2015/04/21/oklahoma-goes-from-two-30-
earthquakes-a-year-to-two-a-day.html
CBS. (2012, December 02). Carbon dioxide emissions rise to 2.4 million pounds per second.
Retrieved April 19, 2018, from https://www.cbsnews.com/news/carbon-dioxide-
emissions-rise-to-24-million-pounds-per-second/
Climate Nexus. (2017, December 15). The Localized Health Impacts of Fossil Fuels. Retrieved
April 17, 2018, from https://climatenexus.org/climate-issues/health/the-localized-health-
impacts-of-fossil-fuels/
Dictionary.com. (2010). Permafrost. Retrieved April 14, 2018, from
http://www.dictionary.com/browse/permafrost?s=t
Energy in New Hampshire. (n.d.). Retrieved March 20, 2018, from
https://www.nh.gov/osi/energy/energy-nh/index.htm
EPA. (2017, March 01). What is Acid Rain? Retrieved April 06, 2018
Fears, N. (2010, February 11). Environmental Impact of Strip Mining. Retrieved April 17, 2018,
from https://www.brighthub.com/environment/science-environmental/articles/19087.aspx
Heat Pumps | BSE Air Conditioning | How They Work. (2015). Retrieved March 23, 2018, from
http://bse.ie/heat-pumps/
Herron, D. (n.d.). Understanding kiloWatt-hours in electric cars and other gizmos. Retrieved
March 22, 2018, from https://greentransportation.info/energy-transportation/kwh-evcars-
gizmos.html
Ingraham, C. (2017, March 31). Analysis | The entire coal industry employs fewer people than
Arby's. Retrieved April 25, 2018, from
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/03/31/8-surprisingly-small-
industries-that-employ-more-people-than-
coal/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.a9e9a1409c75
International Renewable Energy Agency. (2016). Http://ljournal.ru/wp-
content/uploads/2016/08/d-2016-154.pdf. Renewable Energy Benefits. doi:10.18411/d-
2016-154
Kasper, M. (2018). Report: 23 Largest Wind Farms In Illinois Bring $6 Billion In Economic
Benefits To The State. Retrieved April 15, 2018, from https://thinkprogress.org/report-23-

34
 largest-wind-farms-in-illinois-bring-6-billion-in-economic-benefits-to-the-state-
fb3939c9cbba/
Keeling, C. D. (2003, July 01). The Suess effect: 13Carbon-14Carbon interrelations. Retrieved
April 15, 2018, from
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0160412079900059
Lemaire, X. (2010). Glossary of Terms in Sustainable Energy Regulation. Renewable Energy
and Energy Efficiency Partnership. doi:10.3897/bdj.4.e7720.figure2f
Local Option - Property Tax Exemption for Renewable Energy. (2016, November 8). Retrieved
April 4, 2018, from http://programs.dsireusa.org/system/program/detail/60
Metcalfe, M. (2017, August 10). Grid Efficiency: An Opportunity to Reduce Emission. Retrieved
April 25, 2018, from http://www.theenergycollective.com/mmetcalfe/2410471/grid-
efficiency-opportunity-reduce-emissions
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (2013, November). Ocean acidification.
Retrieved April 7, 2018, from http://www.noaa.gov/resource-collections/ocean-
acidification
New Hampshire Employment Security - NHES- Community Profiles Keene, NH. (2017).
Retrieved March 22, 2018, from https://www.nhes.nh.gov/elmi/products/cp/profiles-
htm/keene.htm
New Hampshire State Profile and Energy Estimates. (n.d.). Retrieved March 20, 2018,
from https://www.eia.gov/state/?sid=NH#tabs-4
Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships. (2015, January 01). Retrieved April 04, 2018, from
http://www.neep.org/initiatives/public-policies/new-hampshire
Ong, S., Campbell, C., Denholm, P., Margolis, R., & Heath, G. (2013, June). National
Renewable Energy Laboratory - NREL - Land-Use Requirements for Solar Power Plants
in the United States. Retrieved March 23, 2018, from
https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy13osti/56290.pdf
PMEL Carbon Program. (2017). Ocean Acidification: The Other Carbon Dioxide Problem.
Retrieved April 15, 2018, from https://www.pmel.noaa.gov/co2/story/Ocean Acidification
PowerUP. (2017, September 19). 10 Health Problems from Fossil Fuels. Retrieved April 15,
2018, from http://powerup.arcadiapower.com/10-health-problems-fossil-fuels/
Renewable Energy Corporation. (2018). Economic Benefits | Renewable Energy Corporation |
Timonium, MD. Retrieved April 15, 2018, from
https://renewableenergysolar.net/benefits/economic-benefits/
Renewable Portfolio Standard. (2017, October 16). Retrieved April 24, 2018, from
http://programs.dsireusa.org/system/program/detail/2523
RGGI. (2018). Retrieved April 04, 2018, from https://www.rggi.org
Richardson, J. (2018, March 10). Renewable Energy Has More Economic Benefits Than You
Know. Retrieved April 15, 2018, from https://cleantechnica.com/2018/03/10/renewable-
energy-economic-benefits-know/
Shale Stuff. (2013, February 18). Exactly What Is Fracking? Retrieved April 20, 2018, from
http://shalestuff.com/education/fracking/fracking]
Singh, S. (2015, September 22). How long will fossil fuels last? Retrieved April 25, 2018, from
http://www.business-standard.com/article/punditry/how-long-will-fossil-fuels-last-
115092201397_1.html

35
 Southwest Regions Planning Commission. (2018). 2015 Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Inventory. PDF.
The Wilderness Society. (2017). Wilderness.org. Retrieved April 18, 2018, from
https://wilderness.org/seven-ways-oil-and-gas-drilling-bad-news-environment
U.S. Census Bureau. PHYSICAL HOUSING CHARACTERISTICS FOR OCCUPIED HOUSING
UNITS in Keene, NH. (2016). Retrieved March 24, 2018, from
https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?src=CF
U.S Census Bureau. (n.d.) QuickFacts: Keene, New Hampshire. Retrieved April 06,
2018.
U.S. Department of Energy. (2017). What is the Smart Grid? Retrieved April 25, 2018, from
https://www.smartgrid.gov/the_smart_grid/smart_grid.html
U.S Department of Transportation - Federal Highway Administration - FHWA - Average Annual
Miles per Driver by Age Group. (n.d.). Retrieved March 22, 2018, from
https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ohim/onh00/bar8.htm
U.S. Energy Information Administration - EIA - Independent Statistics and Analysis. How much
electricity does an American home use? (2017, November 7). Retrieved March 22, 2018,
from https://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.php?id=97&t=3
Union of Concerned Scientists. (2016, August 30). The Hidden Costs of Fossil Fuels. Retrieved
April 17, 2018, from https://www.ucsusa.org/clean-energy/coal-and-other-fossil-
fuels/hidden-cost-of-fossils#.WuNLJogvxEY
Union of Concerned Scientists. (2017, December 20). Benefits of Renewable Energy Use.
Retrieved April 15, 2018, from https://www.ucsusa.org/clean-energy/renewable-
energy/public-benefits-of-renewable-power#.Ws_ewYjwZEY
Union of Concerned Scientists. (2017, December 20). Benefits of Renewable Energy Use.
Retrieved April 15, 2018, from https://www.ucsusa.org/clean-energy/renewable-
energy/public-benefits-of-renewable-power#.Wt5z9MgvxEY

36