Revision: March 4, 2025, 2:28 p.m.
Senate Energy and Natural Resources
March 4, 2025
2025-0718s
06/09
Amendment to SB 228-FN
Amend the bill by replacing section 1 with the following:
1 Net Energy Metering. Amend RSA 362-A:9, XIV(a) to read as follows:
XIV.(a) A customer-generator may elect to become a group host for the purpose of reducing or otherwise controlling the energy costs of a group of customers [who are not customer-generators, except that a political subdivision, as defined in RSA 362-A:1-a, II-c, or the owner of a facility described in RSA 362-A:9, XX, that is a customer-generator, may participate as a group member]. A customer-generator may participate as a group member if it has not elected to become a group host. A customer-generator who is also a group member shall be eligible to offset total electric utility bill charges on an annual basis only after its on-site generation. The group of customers shall be located within the service territory of the same electric distribution utility as the host. The host shall provide a list of the group members to the commission and the electric distribution utility and shall certify that all members of the group have executed an agreement with the host regarding the utilization of kilowatt hours produced by the eligible facility and that the total historic annual load of the group members together with the host exceeds the projected annual output of the host's facility. The department shall verify that these group requirements have been met and shall register the group host. The department shall establish the process for registering hosts, including periodic re-registration, and the process by which changes in membership are allowed and administered. Net metering tariffs under this section shall not be made available to a customer-generator group host until such host is registered by the department.
Amend the bill by replacing section 3 with the following:
3 Net Energy Metering. Amend RSA 362-A:9, XIV(c)(2) to read as follows:
(2) On or before July 1, 2022, the department shall report on the costs and benefits of such an addition and the development of the market for low-moderate income community solar projects, and provide a recommendation on whether the addition shall be increased or decreased. The department shall report on the costs and benefits of low-moderate income community solar projects, as defined in RSA 362-F:2, X-a on or before June 1, 2020. The department shall authorize at least 2 new low-moderate income community solar projects, as defined in RSA 362-F:2, X-a, each year in each utility's service territory beginning January 1, 2020. On an annual basis, for all group host systems except for residential systems with an interconnected capacity under 15 kilowatts, the electric distribution utility shall calculate a payment adjustment if the host's surplus compensation for generation for which it was paid is greater than the group's total electricity [usage] costs during the same time period. Compensation under the net metering tariffs shall not exceed the total costs of the group members. [The adjustment shall be such that the resulting compensation to the host for the amount that exceeded the group's total usage shall be at the utility's avoided cost or its default service rate in accordance with subparagraph V(b) or paragraph VI or alternative tariffs that may be applicable pursuant to paragraph XVI]. The utility shall pay or bill the host accordingly.
Amend the bill by replacing sections 7 and 8 with the following:
7 Net Energy Metering. Amend RSA 362-A:9, XIV(e) to read as follows:
XIV.(e) The department of energy, by rule or order, shall develop a process by which community solar developers can apply for designation as a community solar project for new solar arrays. Such projects designate their production for the benefit of households on the list required in subparagraph (d). Such projects will qualify for the low-moderate income solar addition as established in subparagraph (c) and shall specify the amount of on-bill credit they can offer to low-moderate income households. Annually, the number of projects designated as low-moderate income community solar shall not exceed a total nameplate capacity rating of [6] 18 megawatts in the aggregate. If more than [6] 18 megawatts of projects apply for designation, the department of energy shall select the projects that offer the largest on-bill credit and that demonstrates project readiness.
8 Definitions. Amend RSA 362-A:1-a, II-c to read as follows:
II-c. "Municipal host" means a customer generator with a total peak generating capacity of greater than one megawatt and less than 5 megawatts used to offset the electricity requirements of a group consisting exclusively of one or more customers who are political subdivisions, provided that all customers are located within the same utility franchise service territory. A municipal host may be owned by either a public or private entity. For this definition, "political subdivision" means the state of New Hampshire or any city, town, county, school district, chartered public school, village district, school administrative unit, [or any district or entity created for a special purpose administered or funded by any of the above-named governmental units] nonprofit educational institutions, or any district or entity created for a special purpose administered or funded by any of the above-mentioned governmental units; such districts or entities include public housing authorities.
Amend the bill by deleting section 4 and renumbering the original sections 5 through 9 to read as 4 through 8, respectively.