The Week Ahead

After the blitz of activity last week, most of the action in the N.H. House now shifts to the main spending, revenue and capital budget bills for the 2012-2013 biennium. Meanwhile, the Northern Pass project is still getting attention in the Legislature, as the committee deadline for reporting on two related bills has been extended.

Money, Money, Money

As we noted in a dispatch last week, the House Finance Committee has scheduled two-day executive session on House Bill 1, House Bill 2 and House Bill 25 beginning today.

The committee will also host a three-hour budget explainer presentation for House members on Tuesday, March 29. The House will not meet in full session this week, but there are scheduled sessions for March 30 and March 31 to complete voting on all bills originating in the House.

The Senate, meanwhile, will meet in session Wednesday to consider more than 34 bills and amendments. The Daily dispatch will bring you previews of the Senate session tomorrow.

Northern Pass

On Tuesday, the House Science, Energy and Technology Committee will continue work sessions on two proposals — House Bill 648 and House Bill 649 — connected to the Northern Pass hydroelectric project (see earlier Daily Dispatch here). The committee’s reporting deadline for both bills was extended to March 24.

According to the Concord Monitor, a recent public hearing in Franklin by the U.S. Department of Energy generated strong pro and con opinions on the economic and environmental impacts of the proposal to bring Canadian hydroelectric power into the regional power grid. The project would include a planned $350 million generator conversion project in Franklin and an estimated 40 miles of new right-of-way contracts in the northern part of the state.

>> Tuesday, March 22, work sessions for the House Science, Energy and Technology Committee on House Bill 648 and House Bill 649, Legislative Office Building, Room 304, beginning at 10:15 a.m.

This Daily Dispatch was written by Michael McCord.