Karen Bemis

My name is Karen and I live and vote in Bristol. I am OPPOSED to this bill which would repeal NHs long-standing law that allows towns and cities to exempt residential solar energy systems from local property taxes, raising costs for homeowners who invested in solar under existing rules. I believe it is wrong, and possibly illegal, for the municipality or state to tax the local generation of electricity. The generation of local electricity for personal use is a right and should not be taxed. We should have a right to generate our own electricity. Until this point in time, local towns have authority to remove the tax with an exception passed at town meeting. Removing this freedom eliminates the rights of local towns to make their own decisions and act in the best interest of its residents. Why would we want to discourage the deployment of solar energy?? This policy discourages the deployment of solar power in NH and drives up the cost of electricity generation for NH residence. Solar is currently the LOWEST COST and safest form of energy in the world and prices continue to fall. Finally, this tax is arbitrary and regressive.