This bill amends existing laws related to electric utilities and energy generation in New Hampshire, introducing the concept of "advanced nuclear resource" (ANR) as a viable option alongside renewable energy sources. Key provisions include the establishment of new responsibilities for the coordinator of nuclear development, which now encompasses managing funding and oversight of nuclear incentive programs and public safety outreach. The bill also raises the peak generating capacity threshold for certain metering requirements from 100 kilowatts to 500 kilowatts and expands the definition of low-moderate income community solar projects to include solar arrays with a total peak generating capacity of up to and including 3 megawatts. Additionally, it increases the annual cap for low-moderate income community solar projects from 6 MW to 12 MW and allows group net metering members to enter agreements with multiple hosts, provided their combined load does not exceed their total load.

Furthermore, the bill mandates that electric distribution utilities own and operate advanced nuclear resources and issue requests for proposals for multi-year energy agreements by June 30, 2040, extending the previous deadline of 2025. It clarifies that megawatt hours procured through these agreements can originate from existing, new, or incremental electric energy sources, while also establishing definitions for "existing electric energy sources" and setting limits on energy procurement from single sources, with advanced nuclear resources having a higher cap. The modifications to net metering provisions and community solar project caps are expected to enhance compensation for certain customer-generators and improve the state's energy infrastructure, although the fiscal impact remains indeterminable due to the variability in affected customer-generators and net metering compensation costs.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 374-F:3
As Amended by the Senate: 362-A:9, 374-F:2, 362-F:2, 374-F:11