This bill mandates that the Department of Energy initiate a rulemaking process to establish uniform procedures for distributed energy resources (DERs) seeking to connect to the electrical grid in New Hampshire. These procedures are intended for DERs that are not under the jurisdiction of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and are to be connected to the state's investor-owned utilities. The Department of Energy is required to begin this process within 60 days of the bill's effective date and must provide biannual status updates to the chairpersons of the House Science, Technology and Energy Committee and the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.
The draft rules to be developed by the Department of Energy should include detailed requirements and provisions regarding applicability, eligibility, engineering standards, review processes, timelines, cost responsibilities, information sharing, transparency, and dispute resolution. These rules are expected to align with national best practices, such as the Interstate Renewable Energy Council's 2023 model interconnection procedures. The Department must consider comments received during its investigatory proceeding in IP 2022-01 and submit the draft rules to the joint legislative committee on administrative rules within 15 months of the bill's effective date. Current Chapter Puc 900 regulations will remain in effect until the new rules are adopted. Additionally, any new employee positions needed to implement these rules must be approved by the fiscal committee of the general court. The act is set to take effect on July 26, 2024.