This bill revises the Site Evaluation Committee (SEC) procedures and criteria for the siting, construction, and operation of energy facilities in New Hampshire. It emphasizes the importance of considering the impacts and benefits of energy facilities on various aspects such as welfare, property, industry, economy, environment, and public health. The bill includes an insertion that recognizes the significance of energy facilities in land-use and offshore planning and modifies the definition of an electrical storage facility to one with a peak storage capacity of 30 megawatts or more. It also restructures the SEC to consist of five members, outlines recusal procedures, establishes an administrator role within the public utilities commission, and details the application review process, including the need for comprehensive environmental and impact information.

The bill makes several amendments to RSA 162-H, including changes to the application process, requiring detailed environmental impact assessments, and a decommissioning plan for energy facilities. It removes references to subcommittees in relation to filing fees, standardizing these fees, and updates the criteria for issuing certificates with a focus on fish and wildlife resources and existing land and offshore uses. The bill repeals RSA 162-H:4-a, which pertains to subcommittees of the SEC, and states that the act will be effective upon its passage, with an effective date of July 19, 2024. It also clarifies that the SEC's decisions on siting, land and offshore uses, and air and water quality will be conclusive.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 6:12, 362:4-c, 12-P:5, 212-A:13
As Amended by the House: 162-H:3-a, 162-H:7, 162-H:8-a, 162-H:21, 162-H:4-a
As Amended by the Senate: 162-H:1, 162-H:2, 162-H:3-a, 162-H:7, 162-H:8-a, 162-H:16, 162-H:21, 162-H:4-a
Version adopted by both bodies: 162-H:1, 162-H:2, 162-H:3-a, 162-H:7, 162-H:8-a, 162-H:16, 162-H:21, 162-H:4-a
CHAPTERED FINAL VERSION: 162-H:1, 162-H:2, 162-H:3-a, 162-H:7, 162-H:8-a, 162-H:16, 162-H:21, 162-H:4-a