CONCORD - New Hampshire government is now getting 25 percent of its electricity from wind power installations.

The state has signed a $4 million contract with ConEdison Solutions of Burlington, Mass,. to supply it with wind-generated power through May 2010. The contract was signed after a bidding process that involved traditional and renewable energy suppliers, according to Gov. John Lynch's office.

Lynch in a statement said the contract helps the state move toward its eventual "25/25" goal "" that renewable energy sources provide 25 percent of all power consumed in New Hampshire by 2025.

The contract is "another step in our efforts to protect our economy and our natural resources by ensuring 25 percent of the electricity used by state government comes from clean, renewable wind power," Lynch said. "We are again leading by example as we work to secure our energy independence." Under the contract, ConEdison buys power from wind installations across the country. It provides certification to the state and the Public Utilities Commission that the energy being sold to the state under the contract is generated by wind turbines, company spokesman Christine Nevins said.

Lynch press secretary Colin Manning said the contract with ConEdison adds a premium of 0.0005 cents per kilowatt hour used, equal to about $21,000 on the $4 million contract.

"The obvious benefits are we are using and promoting renewable energy," he said.

Jorge J. Lopez, president and CEO of ConEdison Solutions, said "New Hampshire is setting an outstanding example for the rest of America through its significant purchase of certified wind power "¦ We are proud to have been chosen to help the state achieve its clean energy goals." The state has also launched a "green jobs" program, using funds it collects from Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative auctions of pollution credits, and economic stimulus funds.

The program includes job training, low-interest loans for businesses for energy efficiency projects, upgrading the energy efficiency of state buildings; and helping families weatherize their homes to cut energy costs.

A study that Environment New Hampshire cited last week found that total 2006 spending on fossil fuels in the state averaged $3,118 per capita. By 2030, that figure is expected to rise by as much as 45 percent, to between $3,560 and $4,530 each if current energy usage patterns remain constant, it said.

ENH said shifting to clean energy sources would lower energy costs in New England by $1,550 per household annually by 2030.