I am submitting a short testimony stating my support of HB. 306, to conduct a study by New Hampshire to determine how a federal carbon pricing will affect New Hampshire's people, taxpayers and businesses.This study can also help determine how New Hampshire is using carbon based fuels and help find ways for New Hampshire to determine how to use less by conserving such as increasing building and transportation efficiency, electrification of heating, cooking, and transportation, avoiding new fossil fuel infrastructure, and accelerating clean energy and storage solution deployment.Other ways to use less fossil fuels is by increasing our use of renewable energy.
HB306
House · 2025 sessionDemocraticDied in HouseStudy on carbon pricing impacts
AIEstablishes a legislative commission to study the short- and long-term public health, economic, and environmental impacts of pending national and regional carbon pricing mechanisms on New Hampshire.
establishing a commission to study the short and long-term impacts of pending national and regional carbon pricing mechanisms on New Hampshire's citizens, businesses, institutions, and environment.
Status
Died on the table in the House · February 6, 2025- ✓Introduced
- ✕House
- Senate
- Governor
- Law
Division of testimony
149 submissionsArgument digest · AI-generated
from 51 of 51 written submissionsNearly all submitters support HB306, emphasizing that it only funds a study commission rather than imposing an actual carbon price, and that understanding coming federal and international carbon pricing (including border tariffs from trading partners) is important for protecting New Hampshire's economy and competitiveness. A single dissenting submission calls climate change a hoax and argues any carbon-related tax simply costs residents money.
- Bill only funds a study, not an actual carbon priceSupport21 of 51 reviewed
Supporters emphasize the bill is a low-risk, prudent step that commissions research rather than enacting carbon pricing itself, framing it as sensible preparation rather than policy commitment.
“This bill is to commission a study. It is not a bill to price carbon.”
— Robert King, Keene · #345275 — read full submission →
“This committee needs to take the small step of supporting a study committee as outlined in HB 306. This is not a major policy step, but rather a prudent strategy to benefit NH in what will be a future concern for our state.”
— Bruce Berk, Pittsfield · #345810 — read full submission →
- Carbon pricing is an effective, science-grounded climate solutionSupport16 of 51 reviewed
Supporters cite scientific consensus on human-caused climate change and argue carbon pricing is among the most effective and fair policy tools for reducing emissions.
“over 97% of actively publishing climate scientists agree that human activities, primarily the emission of carbon dioxide and methane, are the primary cause of global warming and climate change.”
— Margaret Longley, Sandwich · #345852 — read full submission →
“Carbon pricing is the single most effective policy to reduce the CO2 emissions causing climate change.”
— Walter Payne, Exeter · #346656 — read full submission →
- NH must prepare for coming federal/international carbon pricingSupport12 of 51 reviewed
Supporters point to spreading global carbon pricing and carbon border adjustment mechanisms (CBAMs) from trading partners like the EU, UK, and Japan, arguing New Hampshire businesses and exporters need to understand and prepare for these costs.
“Until the U.S. prices carbon, U.S. exporters will pay a growing number of countries at the border due to pollution being free here.”
— John Gage, Windham · #342983 — read full submission →
“It is irresponsible not to prepare for the future of international trade that incorporates carbon tax on our locally made products. Our NH economy is at stake.”
— Paul Friedrichs, Exeter · #345402 — read full submission →
- NH should lead rather than lag on this issueSupport7 of 51 reviewed
Supporters argue New Hampshire is falling behind neighboring states and other jurisdictions in preparing for an energy and carbon-pricing transition and should take a proactive leadership role.
- NH is already experiencing climate change impactsSupport6 of 51 reviewed
Supporters cite tangible local effects such as damaged apple and maple crops and shorter, warmer winters affecting ski and tourism businesses as evidence that preparedness is urgent and not hypothetical.
- Carbon fee-and-dividend model is worth studyingSupport5 of 51 reviewed
Supporters highlight a carbon fee-and-dividend approach, in which carbon-price revenue is returned to households, as a fair model that a study commission should examine.
- Study should examine specific readiness measuresSupport5 of 51 reviewed
Supporters list concrete preparation steps a study could inform, including building and transportation efficiency, electrification of heating and transportation, avoiding new fossil fuel infrastructure, and accelerating clean energy deployment.
- Polluters should bear the cost of emissionsSupport3 of 51 reviewed
Supporters argue carbon pricing is a matter of fairness, ensuring that those who pollute are held financially accountable for the resulting harm.
- Legislators have blocked similar bills due to fossil fuel influenceSupport3 of 51 reviewed
Some supporters express frustration that carbon pricing measures keep failing in the legislature, attributing this to lawmakers' ties to fossil fuel interests rather than a lack of public support.
- Local towns have already signaled support for carbon pricingSupport2 of 51 reviewed
Supporters cite dozens of New Hampshire towns that have passed local resolutions favoring a carbon price with a cash-back/dividend structure as evidence of grassroots demand for state action.
- Climate change is a hoax and carbon taxes only cost taxpayersOppose1 of 51 reviewed
The lone opposing submission dismisses climate change as a hoax and argues a carbon tax accomplishes nothing beyond taking money from taxpayers.
Generated by claude-sonnet-5 (claude code agent) on Jul 22, 2026. Quotes are verbatim excerpts, verified against the cited submission before publication. Summaries are AI interpretation of the record, not part of it.
House STE HB 306 SUPPORT I support establishing a commission to study the short and long term impacts of pending national and regional carbon pricing mechanisms. This information can only be helpful. This needs to be done ASAP. Today. NH residents are already talking about the effects we are seeing from our climate changing in NH. These are skiers, snowboarders, ski businesses, restaurant businesses, hotel/lodging businesses, farmers, etc that are adapting to warmer, shorter winters and increasingly hotter summers. In Concord this past fall two of the largest apple orchards lost their entire crop of apples... again... due to an extreme cold spell at a critical time. Maple Syrup producers in NH can show you their production data (total days and amount produced) from the last 10-20 years or more. These are not "likely scenarios," these are scenarios that are happening now. The "likely adaptations needed to prevent these scenarios" are being researched and implemented in NH NOW. Municipalities are paying for remediation now. Just look around your county, cities and towns to see what is happening, talk to your industries, agriculture, tourism, town/city administrators, planning boards etc. Talk and listen to the people that you are representing and should be protecting. 10-20 years from now may well be too late, and significantly more expensive in dollars and lives. Thank you. The sign-in sheet will close for purposes of registering your opinion at 11:59 p.m. the day of the hearing.
Please listen to John Gage on this matter, he knows what he is talking about. We need to stop lagging on this issue and get a handle on its implications as soon as possible. Thank you for your time and consideration.
The state needs to prepare for when carbon pricing is mandated.
Most economists and even energy producers agree that we need a carbon tax to address the externalities (like the CA wildfires) if we are to get through this transition alive. Let's put the politics aside and figure this out so that it works for the people.
Just common sense to understand how this his type of plan would affect NH
A Carbon Fee and Dividend is the best way to transition to clean energy. It is the trend the civilized world is on. Let us join with it!
All climate around the world has been effected by fossil fuels-/stop the nonsense, follow scirncr
I support the study of carbon pricing as one of the few effective mechanisms to balance global emissions, make American companies more competitive with heavy-industry countries like China, and return a dividend to the people for being more energy efficient. A study commission could explore how Americans have invested significant time, money, and effort to improve our air quality and reduce emissions - and should be rewarded for that effort. One recommended change to the current bill narrative would be that if the commission proposes a focus on 'public health' impacts, then the NH DHHS Commissioner or designee should be included.
I am a community activist who cares deeply about promoting legislation designed to support the preservation and protection of New Hampshire's water systems and landscapes any way possible. This legislation is positive and constructive.
Taxing carbon is one way to decrease our CO2 emissions by charging the biggest polluters.
This is an important bill on an important topic. The findings from the work outlined in the bill will help make New Hampshire a leader in addressing climate change. I strongly support this bill.
This study will help our state leaders understand the likelyhood, impacts, and how to prepare NH for federal carbon pricing (bit.ly/carbon-pricing-is-inevitable). Preparation includes increase building and transportation efficiency, electrification of heating, cooking, and transportation, avoiding new fossil fuel infrastructure, and accelerating clean energy and storage solution deployments. A secondary goal is to help inform state legislators about the most beneficial policy option for NH citizens and motivate them to pass a resolution calling on Congress to do it as 37 NH towns have already done (carboncashback.org).
Climate change is the single biggest threat to the quality of life of future generations. Carbon pricing is the single most effective policy to reduce the CO2 emissions causing climate change. As such, it will eventually be adopted as the costs of climate change become clear to all. The government of New Hampshire should acknowledge the current climate reality and try to anticipate likely future policies to counter it becoming worse so that it can make decisions to improve the lives of current and future generations of its residents. I therefore support HB 306.
I am well informed on the science of climate change and we need bills like this to avoid a coming disaster!
Passage of this bill would increase public knowledge of carbon pricing something that will be sorely needed to prepare for the future.
NH needs to move to the future, and not let small mindedness, and corporate interest rule our legislature. Listen to the people, we are as smart as the legislature, and younger, so we will live with the consequences! Although I represent myself in this support, I know that my colleagues on the Mason Energy Commission of Mason, NH have discussed this issue, and support it as well.--unofficially of course.
Much interesting data has been gathered about the economic benefits of a carbon fee and dividend paid to households. It would be extremely worthwhile for a study to learn more.
We have but 5 short years to meet our climate goals of reducing Greenhouse gases (GHG) 50% by 2030. This bill is critical to getting us there.
Climate change is the defining problem of our time. What we collectively do or fail to do will determine the kind of world our children, grandchildren, and later generations will inherit. The science will continue to evolve, but there is no longer reason to doubt the basic reality that climate change is real and that the amount of carbon dioxide we continue to dump into the atmosphere is the primary cause. Net carbon dioxide emissions need to reach zero. This will require a price on carbon. It is already a reality in Canada, the EU, and being debated elsewhere. The impact will be substantial. It is time to apply the 7 Ps: Proper Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance. At the risk of misquoting a famous general: "The best plans fail on first contact with the enemy, but planning is essential."
We need this study to better understand the implications of, and possibility of, federal carbon pricing and its effects on our citizens. 37 NH Towns have already passed a resolution supporting a carbon price with cash back policy. It is time state legislators are informed and motivated to determine the most beneficial policy option for NH citizens and move this forward.
I believe the further studies of carbon pricing would greatly benefit New Hampshire in trending towards a cleaner future. Studying the Short term losses and gains versus the long term ones would greatly allow us as a state to more understandably implement carbon pricing ideas while trying to clean up unnecessary carbon footprints many leave every year; allowing us to also help with the long term effects of global warming.
Not being willing to entertain the idea of pricing carbon before studying it keeps the committee, the legislature, and the state bathed in literal ignorance. Do you want to be the fiddlers whose children watch the planet burn?
New Hampshire is falling behind its neighbors in New England as well as other states when it comes to preparing for an energy transition. I don't believe "The New Hampshire Way" envisions us a last in line. The financial reality of energy in the near-term requires positioning the state for a carbon tax given the numbers of countries that have already committed to this course of action.
NH needs to step up and lead the way for carbon pricing legislation - we are uniquely situated to show how we can move forward to protect our beautiful state and also to lower energy prices. Please be open to a study to better understand what carbon pricing can do for us all!