This bill amends existing law to allow the Department of Energy and electric distribution utilities to issue requests for proposals (RFPs) for multi-year agreements for energy, either in conjunction with or independently of any associated environmental attributes. The bill aims to address the high cost of electricity in New Hampshire, which is above the national average, by enabling utilities to seek more diverse and long-term energy supply options. The introductory language of RSA 374-F:11, I is amended to include the Department of Energy in the process of developing and issuing these RFPs, while the deadline for doing so has been removed. Additionally, the definition of "existing electric energy sources" is clarified to include all sources currently providing energy to the ISO-NE regional markets, specifically mentioning nuclear power facilities that began operations before January 1, 2011.

Furthermore, the bill modifies the requirements for investor-owned electric distribution utilities entering into agreements by removing the previous deadline for petitioning the public utilities commission and allowing for agreements with existing, new, or incremental electric energy sources, capped at a total of 2 million megawatt hours annually statewide. The bill emphasizes the need for these agreements to be just and reasonable, serving the public interest. The act will take effect 60 days after its passage, and it is noted that there is no fiscal impact on state, county, or local expenditures or revenue.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 374-F:11