...AND CHEAPER...:

New Hampshire Republican Gov. Chris Sununu has signed a new law allowing the state's consumers to tap into clean energy by joining community solar projects.

The law, approved by the state Legislature in the recently concluded session, will create a new program allowing low and moderate income households to participate in community solar projects. The changes will allow qualifying households to tie into solar energy programs and get credits for renewable energy usage without installing panels on their rooftops.

Under the new program, utilities will provide the state Department of Energy a list of customers who would qualify for low- and moderate-income community solar programs. The state will choose which households meet the criteria to enroll, and work with private developers to connect their projects to energy consumers who are willing to participate.

The initiative won praise from U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, who posted a statement on social media on Monday that the new program "will help middle and lower-income residents save on electricity costs by matching them with community solar projects."

Tweet   @brothersjudd