Most of the candidates who hope to serve as the Granite State’s governor said they support renewable forms of energy and environmentally-friendly policies. Of course, how green their plans are varies vastly between candidates.

Democrats are all in on bringing new infrastructure for renewable energy to the state. Republicans said they, too, want to help the environment – but they prefer leaving the public hands of government out of it and want to leave the decision on energy sources up to individual residents.

Here’s what each candidate said about the types of power they’d bring to New Hampshire, how they’d work to lower costs, and how they’re thinking about the transition to renewable energy.

Kelly Ayotte (R)

Energy sources – Ayotte, a former U.S. senator and the leading Republican in the race, points to an “all-of-the-above” approach. While she said she supports renewable energy, she’s cautious about it and will cede that decision to the market and individuals. As for electric vehicles, Ayotte won’t prioritize that infrastructure – she’ll let the market evolve toward EVs and has no issue with federal funding to build charging stations, but she won’t pursue it with state money.

Lowering costs – Implementing her catch-all policy, Ayotte said, will produce the higher energy supply necessary to drive down costs. She also emphasized a need to steer clear of regulatory burdens on production that could drive up costs for consumers.

Like current Gov. Chris Sununu, Ayotte supports nuclear energy. She suggested installing small modular nuclear reactors throughout the state, particularly in the North Country so those residents could make their own energy and bring new economic development and jobs to the area. The state has a nuclear plant in Seabrook, which has approval to operate through 2050. Current technology uses less nuclear material and is safer, and Ayotte said she’ll position the state for nuclear energy, which she called a carbon-friendly, cost-effective option.

“This isn’t an immediate play, right? But we have to position New Hampshire for these new technologies,” Ayotte said. “If we don’t think ahead and think forward, then we’ll be behind as these newer technologies continue to develop.”

Joyce Craig (D)

Energy sources – Craig, the former mayor of Manchester, said she wants state government to work to bring more renewable energy sources, like solar and wind, to New Hampshire. She’d support and compensate local community power generators, give incentives for lower-income residents to purchase low-emissions vehicles, and ramp up infrastructure for electric vehicles throughout the state, especially in the North Country. She’d also bring passenger rail to Nashua and Manchester, something that has been discussed for decades.

Lowering costs – While investing in weatherization and electrification will be a big payment upfront, Craig said the investment will be justified by the long-term savings of lower energy consumption and increased production.

Part of Craig’s plan is to tap into offshore wind. Given plans to develop offshore wind in the Gulf of Maine, Craig said New Hampshire needs to contribute so it can benefit from that project.

“Maine, Massachusetts, other states are working collectively on this, and New Hampshire is not at the table,” Craig said. “New Hampshire should be at the table to ensure that we are bringing these benefits to New Hampshire with decreased costs, making sure that we have this opportunity of renewable energy here in our state.”

Jon Kiper (D)

Energy sources – Kiper, who has served in local government and owns a restaurant in Newmarket, is a proponent of incentivizing individual homeowners and business owners to install solar panels and use battery power as a backup so New Hampshire doesn’t rely on outdated systems. He’d also place EV charging stations at liquor stores and parks and enact a statewide composting effort.

Lowering costs – In addition to diversifying energy sources, Kiper said he’d want the state to sign onto a group of lawsuits against Exxon Mobil for damage to the environment. This would help the state address and prevent further climate damage, he said, so taxpayers don’t have to foot the bill.

Kiper was the only candidate to propose declaring a climate emergency in New Hampshire. He believes it is an emergency, he said, and that official designation could help free up funding to fix and prevent future climate damage. He’d also consider pulling in the New Hampshire National Guard to help install solar panels to further the state’s renewable energy growth

“Why couldn’t we be using them to better prepare some of our more vulnerable communities for climate change?” Kiper said. “That seems to me like as much of a New Hampshire security issue as anything that I can think of.”

Chuck Morse (R)

Energy sources – Morse, former president of the New Hampshire Senate, agrees with Ayotte that New Hampshire residents should be able to choose the type of energy they use. While he’s all for environmental stewardship, he said he won’t limit Granite Staters to just electric or other renewable energy sources. New Hampshire “shouldn’t be told what to do” by the federal government, he said.

Lowering costs – Morse said if former president Donald Trump is reelected, that will help the economy and lower the price of fuel and other energy sources. He also said Trump would help bring a pipeline up to New Hampshire for natural gas.

Morse has concerns about offshore wind, saying he’s heard in some meetings about consistent repairs needed and parts of the equipment chipping. It could contaminate New Hampshire’s fish stock and negatively impact the state’s economy and fishermen’s livelihoods. Mostly, though, he wants lawmakers to engage in a discussion about how clean energy could work in a cost-effective and practical way.

“To suggest that people like myself don’t believe in clean energy and a clean environment is wrong. I mean, I do,” Morse said, “but I want people talking about it and explaining why things are happening and what we’re doing and how it’s going to affect all our lives.”

Cinde Warmington (D)

Energy sources – As governor, Warmington said she’d focus on converting to electric modes of transportation and developing renewable energy in the state. While New Hampshire has projects it can embark on, regulatory impediments stand in the way. Warmington said she’d fix that.

Lowering costs – To drive down prices, she’d support regulation that incentivizes private investment in renewable energy in an effort to increase supply and tamp down demand. She’ll also partner with local businesses to reduce dependence on out-of-state fossil fuels, something she said the Granite State as a whole relies on too heavily.

When asked about how she’d regulate renewable energy to mitigate risks, Warmington did not provide details about what exactly that regulation might look like because it’ll be specific to each source. But the risk of inaction is higher, she said.

“The cost of not taking action is that climate change is actually an existential threat and we need to tackle it,” Warmington said. “The real threat to our environment is doing nothing.”

Editor’s note: This is the second in a series interviewing the candidates for governor about the biggest issues in the race. Check out the first installment, where they share their plans to support affordable housing in New Hampshire.

Charlotte Matherly is the statehouse reporter for the Concord Monitor and the Monadnock Ledger-Transcript in partnership with Report for America. Follow her on X at @charmatherly, or send her an email at cmatherly@cmonitor.com.