Laura Hutchinson worked with the Town of Hanover, New Hampshire to develop a community-wide renewable energy procurement strategy in collaboration with Sustainability Director April Salas, Town Manager Julia Griffin, and the Sustainable Hanover Energy Subcommittee. Laura created a community-wide electricity baseline and quantified the existing footprint of renewable electricity generation from onsite solar to define the community’s progress toward its 100% renewable electricity target. She used this data and policy-driven framework to craft a comprehensive procurement strategy that engages all of the community’s electricity consumer classes. This plan is aiding the Town and the Sustainable Hanover Energy Subcommittee in their efforts to prioritize and carry out initiatives that have the potential to yield the greatest impact. In addition, Laura’s analytical and communications-oriented work created avenues and content for improved outreach to the broader community about Hanover’s energy transition. After completing her Fellowship, Laura joined Rocky Mountain Institute in Basalt, Colorado, where she works to decrease the carbon emissions associated with the extraction of natural gas.
