On Energy, Ayotte's 'All Of The Above,' Warmington's Still AWOL

By Leonard Robinson, NH Journal

New Hampshire Republican Gov. Kelly Ayotte is leading the charge to encourage more nuclear power in New England, and the region’s five deep-blue state governors are on board.

Massachusetts Democratic Gov. Maura Healey, a progressive who once bragged about stopping natural gas pipelines in the Bay State, is now pressing the Trump administration to accelerate a pipeline expansion.

And Cinde Warmington? Where is she on energy policy?

Months after telling supporters she would release an energy strategy, the Democratic nominee for governor is AWOL. No plan, and she’s refused to respond to multiple requests for comment about when one will be released.

Ayotte’s been open about her embrace of an “all of the above” energy policy that emphasizes lower costs for consumers over Green New Deal politics.

“I wake up every day thinking about how to make New Hampshire more affordable, and lowering electric bills is a top priority,” Ayotte told NHJournal. “I am fighting to return every dollar we can from utility companies to Granite Staters, and I’ll keep pushing to bring more energy to our state so we can lower costs for families.”

Warmington is still keeping voters waiting.

In June, Warmington told Pelham Democrats that a revised proposal was coming.

“We put out a whole green energy economy plan in my last election. We’re tweaking that now, updated, and we’ll be putting that out.”

Warmington has not released the promised update and declined to comment when NHJournal requested clarification and a timeline.

Her previous Clean Energy Economy Plan, unveiled during her unsuccessful 2024 gubernatorial campaign, would “create standards that lead New Hampshire to net zero emissions by 2040.”

And while the promised plan has yet to appear, Warmington did tell WMUR’s Adam Sexton in August that she still opposes natural gas expansion.

“I believe that we need to stop the addiction to fossil fuel,” Warmington said. “We need a clean energy economy in this state, an investment in energy efficiency, in renewable energy.”

Meanwhile, soaring energy costs and supply shortages are creating strange political bedfellows in New England.

At the Sept. 30 National Governors Association Regional Nuclear Policy Summit, Ayotte signed a joint statement instructing New England’s energy agencies to explore advanced nuclear generation and hold a regional gathering for public and stakeholder input.

Energy officials, industry representatives and other experts discussed advanced reactors, financing, safety and regional cooperation.

Healey also signed the pro-nuclear-power statement, a major break from past progressive politics that rejected nuclear energy. But it’s a modest shift compared to the 180-degree reversal she’s made on fossil fuels.

As governor and attorney general, Healey fought pipeline expansion through regulatory filings and by supporting successful litigation. During her 2022 gubernatorial campaign, she bragged about blocking pipeline projects.

“Remember, I stopped two gas pipelines from coming into this state,” she said.

But her Oct. 1 letter to U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright had a very different message. She urged the Trump administration to expedite federal review of the Algonquin Reliable Affordable Resilient Enhancement, or RARE, natural gas project, “expanding the amount of gas that can come into Massachusetts.”

“I ask that you work across the Administration to ensure that the federal reviews and permits needed for RARE move without delay,” she wrote.

Massachusetts still retains its requirement to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, but that’s a promise on paper only. Now, Healey’s support for additional gas supply places her alongside Ayotte on a policy Warmington has resisted.

All of which leaves Warmington and her net-zero policy far to the left of even Massachusetts progressives. And Warmington’s not the only New Hampshire Democrat in this position.

At a University of New Hampshire forum Monday, NH-01 Democratic candidate Stefany Shaheen, daughter of U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, criticized her Republican opponent Anthony DiLorenzo’s support for bringing more natural gas into the region.

“He’s talking about building a gas pipeline. I’ve heard him talk about fracking,” Shaheen said. “None of that’s going to help the man I talked to on Saturday help his parents afford their heating oil.”

Earlier in the campaign, Shaheen said she was open to an expanded natural gas pipeline. During her hotly contested Democratic primary, she shifted to the left. Ironically, it moved her toward Warmington, but away from the other Democrats in the region.

“The need for more energy is so obvious that everybody’s switched to ‘all of the above’ now. Net zero is out,” said Drew Cline with the Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy. “Did someone forget to give the memo to Warmington?

This story was originally published by the NH Journal, an online news publication dedicated to providing fair, unbiased reporting on, and analysis of, political news of interest to New Hampshire. For more stories from the NH Journal, visit NHJournal.com.