governor tells state to cut back on energy costs
State employees may have to start shutting off the lights when the leave the room, thanks to an executive order Gov. John Lynch signed last week ordering state agencies to cut their energy use by 10 percent.
“State government should lead by example in increasing energy efficiency. First, it is the right thing to do for our taxpayers. But in addition to helping the bottom line, energy efficiency also reduces air pollution that contributes to health and environmental problems…. Reducing energy use makes good economic and environmental sense,” Lynch said in a statement.
According to Lynch, the state uses more than $18 million worth of electricity each year. Under the executive order, agencies will be required to purchase products and equipment with an Energy Star rating. New vehicles purchased for state use will be required to have a fuel economy rating of at least 27.5 miles per gallon and have a low-emission certification. The order also created a new position of “state energy coordinator,” who will oversee energy-saving efforts and will make quarterly reports to the governor.
 
UNH coastal program hands out $3 million
The University of New Hampshire’s Cooperative Institute for Coastal and Estuarine Environmental Technology (CICEET) awarded 12 environmental projects across the country more than $3 million during the 2005 fiscal year.
“We are extremely pleased with the scientific caliber and high potential for application that these projects represent,” said Richard Langan, CICEET’s UNH co-director in a statement. “Coastal development is on the rise, and communities need the right technologies to manage and preserve the natural resources that make coastal living so desirable.”
The research projects, which address issues ranging from red tide algal blooms to storm water and wastewater management, will be conducted at National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS) laboratories located across the country. In New Hampshire, CICEET has funded 46 projects in Great Bay that researched topics including habitat loss and restoration and nutrient pollution.
CICEET is a partnership between UNH and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and was established in 1997. The program’s mission is to “foster the development of tools for clean water and healthy coastal habitats nationwide.”