Shaheen Announces More Than $3.74 Million for NH Infrastructure Projects Moving Forward in Government Funding Legislation

**Senator Shaheen is a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee**

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced more than $3.74 million for eleven New Hampshire projects was included in bipartisan funding legislation for fiscal year (FY) 2022, which cleared a key committee hurdle this week. This funding would support economic development projects across the state, provide critical upgrades to local emergency facilities and accelerate the installation of clean energy systems for communities to reduce energy expenses and meet sustainability goals.

The three bills considered by the Appropriations Committee will fund priorities overseen by the Subcommittees on Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies; Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies; and the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies. These subcommittees fund federal programs within the Departments of Energy (DOE), Agriculture, Veterans Affairs (VA) and Defense, as well as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Shaheen procured the funding for these projects through the congressionally directed spending process. The legislation will next be considered by the full Senate. This bill comes as the Senate nears passage of the bipartisan infrastructure package – which Shaheen helped negotiate – which makes once-in-a-generation investments on everything from broadband and water infrastructure to repairing roads, rails and bridges.

“As Congress works to make historic investments to address our national infrastructure needs, communities require funding to deliver on critical economic development projects. I’m glad to report that funding for projects across New Hampshire cleared a key committee hurdle this week. These are projects that make urgent investments in our children’s education, public safety and sustainability for our environment and communities,” said Shaheen. “We still have a ways to go in Congress, but I’m encouraged by the bipartisan spirit that helped push funding for these projects forward. I’m excited to share this news with Granite Staters who would benefit from these projects, from kids in Plymouth to our fire fighters in Swanzey and all around the state to a variety of other meaningful proposals that would support our families and communities. I’ll continue to work across the aisle to garner support and move this bipartisan funding legislation forward on the Senate floor.”                                                               

The New Hampshire projects include:

• Mid-State Children’s Learning Center: Senator Shaheen pushed for the inclusion of $200,000 for this project that will support the renovation of an existing 8,400 square foot building in Plymouth, New Hampshire to allow the Mid-State Community Development Corporation to better meet the needs of children and families in Grafton County.
• Technology Village Lane: Senator Shaheen advocated to add $200,000 to the funding legislation to bolster this project that supports infrastructure upgrades at the Mt. Washington Valley Technology Village Business Resource Center, including the installation of water, sewer, road and broadband networks.
• Northumberland Public Safety Building: Senator Shaheen worked to secure $200,000 to support the construction of a new public safety building in Northumberland, New Hampshire, which would house all services in one building and provide for the safe operation of all of the Town of Northumberland’s emergency services.
• Swanzey Center Fire Station: Senator Shaheen successfully included $200,000 to the legislation to help offset costs associated with the construction of a new fire station in Swanzey, New Hampshire, which will improve the town’s ability to meet the community’s needs and improve the fire department’s ability to recruit and retain call/volunteer members.
• Campton Emergency Communications Initiative: Senator Shaheen worked to add $175,000 to the funding legislation for this project, which supports the purchase and installation of 2 VHF P25 compliant interoperability Radio repeaters and the additional equipment that will be needed to operate the Town of Campton’s new system.
• Claremont Opera House Fire Sprinkler Installation: Senator Shaheen worked to include $100,000 to support the installation of a fire sprinkler system in the Claremont Opera House.
• Newport Town Office Energy Improvements: Senator Shaheen successfully added $250,000 to the legislation to fund the installation of a new, energy-efficient and heating, cooling and air ventilation (HVAC) system for the 115-year-old Newport Town Building, as well as replace existing windows with a more energy-efficient alternative. This proposed project will improve the air quality and temperature control throughout the historic building and reduce Newport’s energy expenses.
• Oyster River Resiliency Project: Senator Shaheen advocated to include $1,150,000 to the government funding legislation to support the Oyster River Resiliency Project (ORRP), a proposed community-centric microgrid connecting the University of New Hampshire (UNH) and town of Durham. The ORRP builds on more than two years of discussion and planning between UNH, Eversource Energy and the Durham Energy Committee to pursue grid modernization initiatives. These funds would support ORRP’s Phase 2, which would advance the project through coordinated investments in the UNH infrastructure to enhance power generation and peak load capacity, provide thermal and power storage, facilitate public and institutional EV fleet growth, and complete upgrades to critical buildings and controls.
• Hanover LED Streetlight Conversion: Senator Shaheen advocated for the inclusion of $271,00 for this project that would replace existing inefficient High Pressure Sodium streetlights with efficient controllable LED street lighting. Current lighting is controlled exclusively by photocells with no ability to adjust lighting levels or electrical consumption. This streetlight conversion would provide Hanover with a sustainable, reliable, community lighting system with a lower operating and energy cost allowing local resources to be allocated to meet additional sustainability goals.
• Derry Landfill Solar Project: Senator Shaheen worked to secure $500,000 to help fund a 2.2 megawatt (MW) landfill solar project that would provide enough electricity to cover 100% of the Town of Derry’s municipal electrical usage, saving over $405,000/year in electricity costs and nearly $8,000,000 over the 25 year life of the project, helping to reduce the tax burden for the Town’s residents. The project would take advantage of an unused landfill site that was capped in 1998 and would also remove over 2555 tons of carbon per year. The power generated by the solar project would then be fed into the Town of Derry’s waste and waterworks facilities, where a portion of the electricity production will be used at the site. The remainder of the power will be exported into the grid and the Town will be compensated by the local utility for that portion of the production that is exported.
• Bedford Landfill Solar Project: Senator Shaheen worked to include $500,000 to enable the complete design, engineering, permitting, procurement, construction and interconnection of landfill solar project. The Town of Bedford would take responsibility for all future Operations & Maintenance expenses to ensure peak long-term generation over the 25-year warranty period and 40-year expected commercial lifespan of the solar array.

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