This bill amends existing laws regarding purchased power agreements for electric distribution utilities in New Hampshire. It allows the Department of Energy and investor-owned electric distribution utilities to issue requests for proposals (RFPs) for multi-year agreements for energy, either in conjunction with or independent of environmental attributes from electric energy sources. The introductory language of RSA 374-F:11, I is modified to include the Department of Energy, and the deadline for issuing these RFPs has been removed. Additionally, the bill specifies that all megawatt hours procured through these agreements must come from existing, new, or incremental electric energy sources, and it defines "existing electric energy sources" to include those that have been operational since before January 1, 2011.

Furthermore, the bill allows electric distribution utilities to petition the Public Utilities Commission for authorization to enter into multi-year agreements with a cap of 2 million megawatt hours statewide on an annual basis. The previous deadline for submitting these petitions has also been removed. The bill aims to provide more diverse and long-term energy options for New Hampshire residents and businesses, addressing the high cost of electricity supply in the state. The act will take effect 60 days after its passage and is noted to have no fiscal impact on state, county, or local expenditures or revenue.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 374-F:11
As Amended by the Senate: 374-F:11