Revision: Jan. 30, 2017, 11:57 a.m.
HB 225 - AS INTRODUCED
2017 SESSION
17-0329
06/10
HOUSE BILL 225
AN ACT repealing the electric renewable portfolio standard.
SPONSORS: Rep. Fromuth, Hills. 7; Rep. Vose, Rock. 9; Rep. Barry, Hills. 21; Rep. Harrington, Straf. 3; Rep. Schleien, Hills. 37; Rep. Scully, Hills. 33; Rep. Beaudoin, Straf. 9; Rep. Notter, Hills. 21; Sen. Sanborn, Dist 9
COMMITTEE: Science, Technology and Energy
-----------------------------------------------------------------
This bill repeals the electric renewable portfolio standard.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
17-0329
06/10
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Seventeen
AN ACT repealing the electric renewable portfolio standard.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 Repeal. RSA 362-F, electric renewable portfolio standard, is repealed.
2 Energy Facility Siting; Wind Energy Systems. Amend RSA 162-H:10-a, I to read as follows:
I. To meet the objectives of this chapter, and with due regard for the [renewable energy goals of RSA 362-F, including promoting the] use of renewable resources, reducing greenhouse gas and other air pollutant emissions, and addressing dependence on imported fuels, the general court finds that appropriately sited and conditioned wind energy systems subject to committee approval have the potential to assist the state in accomplishing these goals. Accordingly, the general court finds that it is in the public interest for the site evaluation committee to establish criteria or standards governing the siting of wind energy systems in order to ensure that the potential benefits of such systems are appropriately considered and unreasonable adverse effects avoided through a comprehensive, transparent, and predictable process. When establishing any criteria, standard, or rule for a wind energy system or when specifying the type of information that a wind energy applicant shall provide to the committee for its decision-making, the committee shall rely upon the best available evidence.
3 Electric Utility Restructuring; Policy Principles. Amend RSA 374-F:3, V(c) to read as follows:
(c) Default service should be designed to provide a safety net and to assure universal access and system integrity. Default service should be procured through the competitive market and may be administered by independent third parties. [Any prudently incurred costs arising from compliance with the renewable portfolio standards of RSA 362-F for default service or purchased power agreements shall be recovered through the default service charge.] The allocation of the costs of administering default service should be borne by the customers of default service in a manner approved by the commission. If the commission determines it to be in the public interest, the commission may implement measures to discourage misuse, or long-term use, of default service. Revenues, if any, generated from such measures should be used to defray stranded costs.
4 Electric Utility Restructuring; Policy Principles. Amend RSA 374-F:3, V(f)(2) to read as follows:
(2) A utility shall provide to its customers one or more renewable energy source (RES) options, as approved by the commission, which may include RES default service provided by the utility or the provision of retail access to competitive sellers of RES attributes. Costs associated with selecting an RES option should be paid for by those customers choosing to take such option. A utility may recover all prudently incurred administrative costs of RES options from all customers, as approved by the commission.
5 Electric Utility Restructuring Principles. Amend RSA 374-F:3, V(f)(7) to read as follows:
(7) For purposes of consumer protection and the maintenance of program integrity, reasonable efforts should be made to assure that the renewable energy source component of an RES option is not separately advertised, claimed, or sold as part of any other electricity service or transaction[, including compliance with the renewable portfolio standards under RSA 362-F].
6 Electric Utility Investment in Distributed Energy Resources; Purpose. Amend RSA 374-G:1 to read as follows:
374-G:1 Purpose. Distributed energy resources can increase overall energy efficiency and provide energy security and diversity by eliminating, displacing, or better managing traditional fossil fuel energy deliveries from the centralized bulk power grid[, in keeping with the objectives of RSA 362-F:1]. It is therefore in the public interest to stimulate investment in distributed energy resources in New Hampshire in diverse ways, including by encouraging New Hampshire electric public utilities to invest in renewable and clean distributed energy resources at the lowest reasonable cost to taxpayers benefiting the transmission and distribution system under state regulatory oversight.
7 Electric Utility Investment in Distributed Energy Resources. Amend RSA 374-G:4, III to read as follows:
III. In addition, once the cumulative generation authorized under this chapter for a given public utility reaches 3 percent of the utility's total distribution peak load in megawatts, then that utility shall not be allowed to add any additional non-renewable generation under this chapter[, until the cumulative renewable generation installed pursuant to this chapter, as a percentage of total generation installed pursuant to this chapter, shall equal or exceed twice the sum of the then-applicable percentage requirements for class I and class II under RSA 362-F:3].
8 Electric Utility Investment in Distributed Energy Resources; Rate Filing; Authorization. Amend RSA 374-G:5, II(b) to read as follows:
(b) The efficient and cost-effective realization of the [purposes of the renewable portfolio standards of RSA 362-F and the] restructuring policy principles of RSA 374-F:3.
9 Disclosure of Electric Service Energy Sources and Environmental Characteristics. Amend the introductory paragraph of RSA 378:49, I to read as follows:
I. The public utilities commission shall, after notice and hearing, by order or rule, approve a standard format and methodology that providers of electricity[, as defined in RSA 362-F:2, XIV,] shall use when providing information to existing or prospective customers regarding the energy sources and environmental characteristics of their electric service. Such information shall include but not be limited to:
10 Disclosure of Electric Service Energy Sources and Environmental Characteristics. Amend the introductory paragraph of RSA 378:49, II to read as follows:
II. Each provider of electricity[, as defined in RSA 362-F:2, XIV,] shall in standard format:
11 Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative; Carbon Dioxide Emission Budget Trading Program. Amend RSA 125-O:21, III to read as follows:
III. The department shall make available for sale at one or more auctions all of the budget allowances for a given year, except for those granted or reserved under RSA 125-O:22, VI[,] and 125-O:24[, and 125-O:25]. The department may also make available for sale at one or more auctions a portion of future year budget allowances. Such auctions may be conducted in coordination with other states. Revenues from the sale of allowances shall be deposited in the energy efficiency fund established under RSA 125-O:23.
12 Repeal. The following are repealed:
I. RSA 6:12, I(b)(253), relative to moneys deposited in the renewable energy fund.
II. RSA 125-O:25, relative to voluntary purchase of renewable energy certificates.
III. RSA 162-H:21, III, relative to transfers from the renewable energy fund to the site evaluation committee fund.
IV. RSA 374-F:3, V(f)(1), relative to renewable energy source.
V. RSA 374-F:3, V(f)(8), relative to payments to the renewable energy fund.
VI. RSA 374-G:3, IV, relative to eligible biomass technology.
13 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.