Revision: June 6, 2013, midnight
SB 123-FN-LOCAL – AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE
03/14/13 0804s
5June2013… 1860h
2013 SESSION
09/05
SENATE BILL 123-FN-LOCAL
AN ACT relative to the use of proceeds from the regional greenhouse gas initiative program.
SPONSORS: Sen. Stiles, Dist 24; Sen. Bradley, Dist 3; Sen. Odell, Dist 8; Sen. Fuller Clark, Dist 21; Rep. Kaen, Straf 5; Rep. Flanagan, Hills 26; Rep. Borden, Rock 24; Rep. John Hunt, Ches 11; Rep. Copeland, Rock 19
COMMITTEE: Energy and Natural Resources
This bill allocates certain proceeds from the regional greenhouse gas initiative (RGGI) program to municipal and local government energy efficiency projects. This bill also permits return of unused allowance sale proceeds to business and municipal customers who fund the systems benefit charge.
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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.
Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]
Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
03/14/13 0804s
5June2013… 1860h
13-0496
09/05
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Thirteen
AN ACT relative to the use of proceeds from the regional greenhouse gas initiative program.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 Energy Efficiency Fund and Use of Auction Proceeds. RSA 125-O:23, II-III are repealed and reenacted to read as follows:
II. All amounts in excess of the threshold price of $1 for any allowance sale shall be rebated to all retail electric ratepayers in the state on a per-kilowatt-hour basis, in a timely manner to be determined by the commission.
III. All remaining proceeds received by the state from the sale of allowances shall be allocated by the commission as an additional source of funding to electric distribution companies for core energy efficiency programs which are approved by the commission and funded by SBC funds. Beginning January 1, 2014, the core utilities shall dedicate up to $2,000,000 of these remaining RGGI proceeds annually for municipal and local government energy efficiency projects, including projects by local governments that have their own municipal utilities. Funding elements shall include, but not be limited to, funding for direct technical and project management assistance to identify and encourage comprehensive projects and incentives structured to assist municipal and local governments funding energy efficiency projects. In calendar years 2014, 2015, and 2016, any unused funds allocated to municipal and local government projects under this paragraph remaining at the end of the year shall roll over and be added to the new calendar year program funds and continue to be made available exclusively for municipal and local government projects. Beginning in calendar year 2017, and all subsequent years, funds allocated to municipal and local government projects under this paragraph shall be offered first to municipal and local governments as described in this paragraph for no less than 4 full calendar months. If, at the end of this time, municipal and local governments have not submitted requests for eligible projects that will expend the funds allocated to municipal and local government projects under this paragraph within that program year, the funds shall be offered on a first-come, first-serve basis to business and municipal customers who fund the systems benefit charge.
2 Energy Efficiency Fund and Use of Auction Proceeds. RSA 125-O:23, II-III are repealed and reenacted to read as follows:
II. All amounts in excess of the threshold price of $1 for any allowance sale shall be rebated to all retail electric ratepayers in the state on a per-kilowatt-hour basis, in a timely manner to be determined by the commission.
III. All remaining proceeds received by the state from the sale of allowances shall be allocated by the commission as an additional source of funding to electric distribution companies for core energy efficiency programs which are approved by the commission and funded by SBC funds. In allocating the proceeds, the commission shall first allocate at least 15 percent of the amount of the proceeds to the low-income core energy efficiency program. Beginning January 1, 2014, the core utilities shall dedicate up to $2,000,000 of these remaining RGGI proceeds annually for municipal and local government energy efficiency projects, including projects by local governments that have their own municipal utilities. Funding elements shall include, but not be limited to, funding for direct technical and project management assistance to identify and encourage comprehensive projects and incentives structured to assist municipal and local governments funding energy efficiency projects. In calendar years 2014, 2015, and 2016, any unused funds allocated to municipal and local government projects under this paragraph remaining at the end of the year shall roll over and be added to the new calendar year program funds and continue to be made available exclusively for municipal and local government projects. Beginning in calendar year 2017, and all subsequent years, funds allocated to municipal and local government projects under this paragraph shall be offered first to municipal and local governments as described in this paragraph for no less than 4 full calendar months. If, at the end of this time, municipal and local governments have not submitted requests for eligible projects that will expend the funds allocated to municipal and local government projects under this paragraph within that program year, the funds shall be offered on a first-come, first-serve basis to business and municipal customers who fund the systems benefit charge.
3 Contingency. If HB 630-FN of the 2013 regular legislative session becomes law, section 2 of this act shall take effect January 1, 2014 at 12:01 a.m. and section 1 of this act shall take not take effect. If HB 630-FN does not become law, section 1 of this act shall take effect January 1, 2014 and section 2 of this act shall not take effect.
4 Effective Date.
I. Sections 1 and 2 of this act shall take effect as provided in section 3 of this act.
II. The remainder of this act shall take effect upon its passage.
LBAO
13-0496
Revised 04/10/13
Amended 03/18/13
SB 123 FISCAL NOTE
AN ACT relative to the use of proceeds from the regional greenhouse gas initiative program.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The Public Utilities Commission and Department of Environmental Services state this bill, as amended by the Senate (Amendment #2013-0804s), will increase local revenue by an indeterminable amount, and have an indeterminable impact on state, county, and local expenditures in FY 2014 and each year thereafter. There is no fiscal impact on state and county revenue.
METHODOLOGY:
The Public Utilities Commission and Department of Environmental Services state this bill directs that for the biennium beginning July 1, 2013, up to $2,000,000 of regional greenhouse gas initiative proceeds be dedicated annually to program awards for municipal and local government energy efficiency projects, including local governments that have their own municipal utilities. The Commission and Department state the awards to the local governments are to be made on the basis of a competitive application process under the authority of the Core energy efficiency program. The Commission and Department state that by allocating up to $2,000,000 annually to municipal and local governments for energy efficiency upgrades, the bill may reduce municipal and local electricity and fuel usage, decreasing costs to an indeterminable extent. Further, to the extent that the Core energy efficiency offerings to municipal and local governments must be offered on a competitive basis rather than the current first-come, first serve basis, the bill may increase the administrative costs of the Core energy efficiency programs by an indeterminable amount and thus slightly reduce funds available for energy efficiency measures.