This bill establishes a new chapter in the law, specifically Chapter 374-I, which introduces a Reliability Indexing Credit Pilot Program aimed at procuring reliability indexing credits from qualified energy storage resources in New Hampshire. The bill defines key terms such as "energy storage," "qualified energy storage resource," and "reliability indexing credit," and outlines the mechanics of the program, including how payments and charges will be calculated based on the difference between the strike price and the reliability indexing credit reference price. The Public Utilities Commission is authorized to approve multi-year agreements with these energy storage resources and to implement cost recovery mechanisms for the associated expenses.

Additionally, the bill mandates that the Department of Energy conduct an investigation to develop recommended terms and conditions for the pilot program, which must be completed by December 1, 2025. Following this investigation, the state electric distribution utilities are required to petition the Public Utilities Commission to implement the pilot program by February 1, 2026. The bill also includes a provision for its effective date, which is set to be 60 days after its passage. The fiscal impact is estimated to involve expenditures exceeding $100,000 for the investigation, which will be funded through a utility special assessment.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 374-I:2