The April meeting of the Hudson Sustainability Advisory Committee centered on expanding renewable energy opportunities for residents, with members exploring new partnerships, state programs, and community collaborations aimed at making small-scale solar more accessible. The discussion reflected the Committee’s ongoing effort to support residents interested in clean energy while strengthening ties with regional organizations and local schools.
Committee member Kate Messner provided an update on Simplify Solar, an initiative led by the Third Act organization. The program is designed to streamline the permitting process for homeowners who want to install solar panels, reducing confusion and helping residents navigate the steps more efficiently.
“It’s to contact the people who do the permitting and let them know about this,” Messner explained. “It’s a way to make getting solar panels easier for the person who wants to get them, and it’s a way to make permitting solar panels easier for the people doing the permitting.”
Third Act’s programs, including Simplify Solar, place a particular emphasis on helping Americans over age 60 adopt renewable energy technologies. While the initiative focuses on educating local officials, the ultimate beneficiaries are residents seeking to reduce energy costs and transition to cleaner power.
Committee member Jake Keller asked whether the program was intended for private homeowners rather than municipal buildings. Messner confirmed that the end users are residents, though the program also supports the officials who process solar permits.
Messner noted that Hudson’s permitting process is already relatively efficient compared to other communities.
“Permitting in town isn’t that bad,” she said, adding that officials must turn solar permits around within 30 days. “If you have all of your ducks in a row, it should go very smoothly.”
Committee Chair Karl Huber said the group frequently receives information about renewable programs and sees its role as helping educate both residents and town officials.
“We get a lot of this coming into the committee,” Huber said. “It’s about educating the community, educating town officials. We get a lot of this coming in when we do our surveys.”
Committee strengthens regional connections the Committee also discussed its ongoing collaboration with Clean Energy New Hampshire (CENH), a statewide organization that provides resources, policy updates, and training opportunities for municipalities working on energy efficiency and renewable energy goals.
“We do belong to that organization, and we’ve talked with Sarah Brock, who is the Director of that program,” Huber said. “She keeps us updated on policy changes, various different websites, and conferences that are available for us to attend. It’s a good organization for us to stay connected to. It’s just a good conduit.”
Messner added that Brock remains in regular contact with the Committee, keeping Hudson informed about legislative activity and state-level initiatives.
“CENH works very hard,” Messner said. “They also do a lot with the state.”
Committee members also discussed the possibility of aligning local efforts with state incentive programs that support municipal energy upgrades. Keller noted that some northern communities have received substantial financial support for insulation and efficiency improvements.
“Up north, they’re paying upwards of 90% of the costs of improvement for better insulating buildings and things like that,” Keller said. “There are incentives that I’ve never seen before that are being done on huge town projects like DPW buildings, fire departments, town halls, all of them. If it’s municipal, it qualifies.”
Selectman Liaison Heidi Jakoby encouraged the Committee to keep an eye out for grants that could support upgrades to historic buildings as well.
“Everybody keep your ears out for things with historic buildings,” she said. “We have other buildings that aren’t necessarily always used.”
Growing a partnership with Alvirne High School in addition to regional partnerships, the Committee highlighted its growing collaboration with the Alvirne High School Sustainability Club, which has become an active participant in several community events. Students have assisted with the Pumpkin Smash, the Holiday Light Recycling Program, and other initiatives aimed at promoting environmental awareness.
“Alvirne Sustainability Club is now very closely collaborating with us,” Huber said. “They’ve been helping us tremendously, and at every single event where they participated, the students were just excited. The residents were excited; it makes me proud of the committee. I definitely want to acknowledge their support.”
Alvirne science teacher and Sustainability Club advisor Kathleen Murphy praised the partnership, calling it “a great asset” to students who want hands-on experience with environmental projects.
The Sustainability Advisory Committee is set for Monday, May 18, at 7 p.m. in the Buxton Meeting Room.
