1 Electric Utility Restructuring; Implementation. RSA 374-F:4, VIII(c) is repealed and reenacted to read as follows:

(c) The commission shall authorize each utility subject to this chapter to recover, as a portion of the system benefits charge, the cost of an electric assistance program as approved and administered by the department as follows:

(1) To assist the department with meeting the responsibilities of this paragraph, there shall be an electric assistance program advisory council, chaired by the commissioner of the department or designee, and further consisting of a representative of each electric utility, a representative of the office of the consumer advocate, a representative of New Hampshire Legal Assistance, a representative of each of the state's community action agencies, and a representative of the Local Welfare Administrator's Association.

(2) The electric assistance program shall operate according to a program year that begins annually on November 1. On or before September 1 of each year, the electric assistance program advisory council shall recommend to the commissioner a budget for the coming year and any changes to program design. If the recommendation is unanimous, the commissioner shall adopt it. If the recommendation is not unanimous, the commissioner shall, prior to the beginning of the program year and after providing an opportunity for public comment, approve a budget and program design that are consistent with the universal service provisions of RSA 374-F:3, V, and with RSA 369-B:1, XIII.

(3) The portion of the system benefits charge associated with the electric assistance program shall not exceed 2 mills per kilowatt-hour for the program year beginning on November 1, 2025. For subsequent program years, this limitation shall be adjusted according to the most recently available consumer price index (CPI-W) as published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor.

2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.

1 Electric Utility Restructuring; Implementation. RSA 374-F:4, VIII(c) is repealed and reenacted to read as follows:

(c) The commission shall authorize each utility subject to this chapter to recover, as a portion of the system benefits charge, the cost of an electric assistance program as approved and administered by the department as follows:

(1) To assist the department with meeting the responsibilities of this paragraph, there shall be an electric assistance program advisory council, chaired by the commissioner of the department or designee, and further consisting of a representative of each electric utility, a representative of the office of the consumer advocate, a representative of New Hampshire Legal Assistance, a representative of each of the state's community action agencies, and a representative of the Local Welfare Administrator's Association.

(2) The electric assistance program shall operate according to a program year that begins annually on November 1. On or before September 1 of each year, the electric assistance program advisory council shall recommend to the commissioner a budget for the coming year and any changes to program design. If the recommendation is unanimous, the commissioner shall adopt it. If the recommendation is not unanimous, the commissioner shall, prior to the beginning of the program year and after providing an opportunity for public comment, approve a budget and program design that are consistent with the universal service provisions of RSA 374-F:3, V, and with RSA 369-B:1, XIII.

(3) The portion of the system benefits charge associated with the electric assistance program shall not exceed 2 mills per kilowatt-hour for the program year beginning on November 1, 2025. For subsequent program years, this limitation shall be adjusted according to the most recently available consumer price index (CPI-W) as published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor.

2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.