New Hampshire Governor Kelly Ayotte said Friday she vetoed a bill regarding nuclear power because she has questions about its impact, but she plans to involve herself in final negotiations over a similar measure as New Hampshire’s 2026 legislative session draws to a close.
Ayotte, a Republican, said the language she vetoed also appears to be attached to legislation pending before a committee of conference — which is what the New Hampshire House and Senate form when trying to reconcile their differences after passing competing versions of a proposal — so she’ll work with the committee to pursue “an outcome that is protective of ratepayers.”
Her post-veto involvement comes as she has signaled a desire to expand nuclear power generation within New Hampshire. She previewed that priority in February during her “State of the State” address, then issued an executive order in March directing the state’s energy department to push for nuclear power development.
Ayotte’s pro-nuclear allies aren’t confined to the Republican-controlled New Hampshire Legislature. On this issue, she has also found common cause with some Democrats across New England, as all six of the region’s governors have signed on to study new nuclear technologies despite lingering public wariness of risks. The conference committee is among dozens that the Legislature has formed at the end of the 2026 session.
The committees are holding a flurry of meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday ahead of their deadline to sign final reports by Thursday at 4 p.m. Those final reports will then be forwarded to the full House and Senate for final up-or-down votes, due by next Thursday, June 4.
The topics being debated in this final stage of the lawmaking process run the gamut, from business taxes to digital currencies, election procedures, renewable energy, and more.
This article first appeared in Globe NH | Morning Report, our free newsletter focused on the news you need to know about New Hampshire, including great coverage from the Boston Globe and links to interesting articles from other places. If you’d like to receive it via e-mail Monday through Friday, you can sign up here.
Steven Porter can be reached at steven.porter@globe.com. Follow him @reporterporter.