By Kylie Valluzzi-Granite State News Collaborative

When discussing climate change, most people tend to focus on national policies or global treaties. However, much of the action happens closer to home — often driven by decisions made by local governments. 

From renewable energy projects to land use and infrastructure, the role of local officials is pivotal in shaping how communities mitigate and adapt to the impacts of climate change.

In New Hampshire, towns and cities are taking direct action to reduce their environmental footprint and build resilience. Local Exeter leaders approved the Landfill Solar Array Project, transforming a former landfill into a large-scale solar array to offset municipal electricity use. The project reflects the town’s commitment to renewable energy, reducing carbon emissions while providing significant energy savings. 

Jennifer Dube, a climate justice organizer for 350NH, noted that the project was initiated by the Exeter Select Board with support from its Energy Committee. 

“The initiative for the solar array on the landfill came from the town itself,” Dube said. She also pointed out that Durham and Hampton Falls are considering similar solar landfill projects, showing a growing interest in renewable energy at the town level.

By investing in projects like this, Exeter is setting an example for other communities across the state. Even at a smaller scale, local initiatives contribute to broader efforts to combat climate change by making clean energy more accessible, demonstrating how local governments can lead in sustainability. 

However, Dube acknowledged that moving climate projects forward can be particularly challenging in smaller towns such as Raymond, where bureaucratic hurdles and a lack of expertise often slow down initiatives such as community power.

 “The biggest challenge is pulling the folks together that know how to get it done,” she said. 

Many volunteers on local energy committees, while dedicated, struggle with navigating complex federal funding processes, which can further stall progress.

Some local decisions can even inhibit climate progress altogether. For instance, resistance to building wind turbines due to concerns about aesthetics or property values can hold up renewable energy projects, as it did to the Antrim Wind Project. The project was proposed in 2012 with 10 wind turbines, but that proposal got no traction until 2019, when nine turbines were eventually approved and built. 

Similarly, a lack of investment in public transportation forces more residents to rely on cars and trucks, increasing local emissions. 

Local governments also play a crucial role in climate adaptation. Coastal towns like Hampton are dealing with rising sea levels and increasingly frequent flooding. Decisions about whether to build seawalls, elevate roads or improve drainage systems are made locally, and those choices will determine how well communities cope with the increasingly severe impacts of climate change.

Dube emphasized that the upcoming elections could have significant implications for the future of climate action. 

“It’s really up in the air as to whether or not these programs are going to continue with a new (presidential) administration," she said, regarding the uncertainty surrounding federal support for local initiatives. 

And local elections play a crucial role. The officials elected to these positions have the power to influence everything from carbon emissions to community resilience in the face of climate disasters, making voter participation at the local level more important than many realize.

Climate change may be a global problem, but its solutions are often forged at the municipal level. New Hampshire’s towns and cities are key players in shaping the state’s response to a warming world. The decisions they make today will have a lasting impact on future generations. 

"It’s really the people who serve on these [town] committees" that drive change, said Dube.

These articles are being shared by partners in the Granite State News Collaborative and the Know Your Vote youth voter guide. The Know Your Vote youth voter guide  project was designed, reported and produced by student and young professional journalists from The Clock,The Concord Monitor, The Equinox, Granite State News Collaborative, Keene State College, The Laconia Daily Sun, The Monadnock Ledger-Transcript, Nashua Ink Link and The Presidency and the Press program at Franklin Pierce University. You can see the full guide at  www.collaborativenh.org/know-your-vote.