During both a pandemic and a climate crisis, we need thoughtful, decisive leaders in office. We firmly believe Senator Dan Feltes is the right leader for this moment and the right person to launch our clean energy economy into the next decade. We cannot wait any longer to act.

In the state Senate, he has been the clean energy champion, sponsoring dozens of pieces of legislation and negotiating bipartisan compromise to get real results whenever possible. Dan does the work behind the scenes, in the committee hearings, and with stakeholders. We have all worked with Dan and seen this first hand. We were honored when he reached out and asked us to work with him to develop a clean energy plan.

Together, we have decades of experience working in all elements of our clean energy economy. Without hesitation, we can say this is the most ambitious and comprehensive clean energy plan ever released by a candidate for governor in the Granite State. As business people and environmentalists committed to climate action, we oppose new fossil fuel infrastructure and appreciate Dan’s efforts to encourage Liberty Utilities to meet existing demand for natural gas without a costly new pipeline while prioritizing zero-emission alternatives for low-income Granite Staters.

During his time in office, Chris Sununu has steadfastly rejected the science of climate change and vetoed common-sense solutions to proactively address this crisis here in New Hampshire. Chris Sununu is the barrier to clean energy progress in New Hampshire. Why does Chris Sununu selectively ignore science? Because he remains tightly intertwined with the same fossil fuel interests that benefit from sinking our money into old-fashioned, dirty energy. His deep connections to the fossil fuel industry through campaign contributions and family ties block any and all progress on combating the climate crisis. Chris Sununu is putting our state at risk.

Dan’s plan to build a clean energy future for New Hampshire prioritizes clean, local energy, safe and healthy buildings, and green transportation. By leading proactively on local clean energy solutions, Dan will help New Hampshire communities build their own independent future. His plan includes reorganizing the Office of Strategic Initiatives to form a new Office of Energy and Climate. It also includes joining other governors in supporting the Paris Climate Agreement and utilizing the Attorney General’s office to bring suits against fossil fuel corporations that knowingly misled the public and policymakers on the reality of climate science.

While slashing emissions that harm our state and committing to 100% clean energy by 2050 without new fossil fuel infrastructure, Dan’s new clean energy economy will generate thousands of good-paying jobs. These jobs are fundamental to our post-COVID recovery and fundamental to solving a number of challenges we face in New Hampshire including the homelessness crisis, unemployment, and retention of young people in our workforce. The climate crisis is interconnected with every other issue and we need a governor who is serious about addressing it.

This is the future that Dan sees for New Hampshire: a stable, growing clean energy economy based on science, health, and local jobs. For our state, environment, and future we need leadership that listens to science and has the vision and urgency to meet this challenge. This isn’t about our generation, it’s about every generation to come. Dan is the candidate who can deliver the real, comprehensive change we need. We cannot wait. You can read the full plan at www.danfeltesnh.com/issues.

Melissa Birchard, Gary Hirshberg, Bob King, and Dan Weeks are longtime leaders in environmental law, agriculture, and clean energy in New Hampshire

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