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New Hampshire: every permit portal for solar, wind, and storage
The quick find: which office handles each approval a utility-scale project touches in New Hampshire, with the agency's own page. Counties and cities add their own land-use approvals; the state table is the part that is the same across the state.
State and grid
| Approval | Where to go |
|---|---|
| State siting or certificateWhether the state itself approves where a generating facility goes, or leaves it to counties and cities. | Site Evaluation Committee certificate (generation 30 MW+)New Hampshire Site Evaluation Committee |
| Grid interconnectionThe queue the project enters to connect: the regional grid operator, or the utility and public utility commission outside an RTO. | Interconnection requestsISO New England |
| Construction stormwater permitNPDES coverage for land disturbance of one acre or more, before earthwork starts. | Stormwater Discharges from Construction ActivitiesU.S. EPANew Hampshire is an EPA-administered NPDES state; coverage is under EPA's Construction General Permit. |
| Historic preservation reviewSection 106 consultation through the State Historic Preservation Office when a federal permit, federal funding or federal land is involved; many states add their own review on state land. | New Hampshire Division of Historical Resources exact page not confirmedLook for: Review and compliance · the exact page did not answer our check, so this goes to the agency's site |
| Wildlife and habitat reviewThe state wildlife agency's project screening or natural-heritage data request; federal species go through USFWS IPaC. | New Hampshire Natural Heritage Bureau exact page not confirmedLook for: DataCheck environmental review · the exact page did not answer our check, so this goes to the agency's site |
| State road access and utility permitsA driveway onto a state highway, and a gen-tie or cable in state right of way. | New Hampshire Department of Transportation exact page not confirmedLook for: Driveway and utility permits · the exact page did not answer our check, so this goes to the agency's site |
| Floodplain (state NFIP coordinator)Local floodplain development permits are county or city; the state coordinator lists who administers them. | State NFIP coordinatorNew Hampshire Office of Planning and Development, Floodplain Management |
| Water rights and wellsConstruction water, dust control and O&M wells: the state engineer, water board or environmental agency. | NHDES Water Division exact page not confirmedLook for: Large groundwater withdrawal permits · the exact page did not answer our check, so this goes to the agency's site |
| Property-tax incentive programState abatement or exemption programs for renewable generation, where one exists. | New Hampshire Department of Revenue Administration exact page not confirmedLook for: Local-option solar and wind exemptions (RSA 72:61-72) · the exact page did not answer our check, so this goes to the agency's site |
Federal portals (the same in every state)
| Approval | Where to go |
|---|---|
| Clean Water Act Section 404 / Rivers and Harbors Act Section 10 | U.S. Army Corps of EngineersRegulatory Request System: applications, pre-application meetings and jurisdictional determinations; the district office is by watershed. |
| Endangered species and critical habitat | U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceIPaC: official species list and the Section 7 consultation path for the project footprint. |
| Tall structures (wind turbines, met towers) | Federal Aviation AdministrationForm 7460-1 notice through OE/AAA before construction above the 14 CFR 77.9 heights. |
| Construction stormwater where EPA is the permitting authority | U.S. EPAEPA's Construction General Permit (NeT eNOI) in New Mexico, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, D.C., Indian country and the territories. |
| Projects on federal land | Bureau of Land ManagementRight-of-way applications and NEPA documents for BLM-managed land. |
| Transmission and wholesale market rules | Federal Energy Regulatory CommissionOrder No. 2023 cluster-study reforms, followed by every FERC-jurisdictional transmission provider, RTO or utility; ERCOT has its own process. |
County and city pages for New Hampshire
From the nationwide permit finder; counties and cities issue most land-use approvals, so start with the jurisdiction that covers the parcel.
- New Hampshire — Environmental agency (State): New Hampshire environmental authority. Start with this agency for the linked water program. Check construction stormwater, wastewater and water-quality approvals separately; this link does not cover every environmental permit. Agency link listed by EPA; confirm current application with NHDES.
- New Hampshire — local government contacts (City & local): USAGov. Select your state in the national directory, then locate the responsible local government. Confirm municipal boundaries and any separate fire, drainage, water or other district authority.
- Hanover — permit applications (City & local): Town of Hanover. Town permit and development applications; verify applicability for the project.
- New Ipswich — permit applications (City & local): Town of New Ipswich. Town permit applications; confirm building, zoning and other local review.
Other states
How this list is made. Each link was found on the agency's own site and is re-checked by a script that loads it and records the date; a link that stops answering is shown without a link rather than dropped. Programs change with each legislative session: confirm fees, forms and thresholds on the agency page before filing. General information, not legal advice. How we check our data · Report an error.