This bill amends existing law to allow the Department of Energy and electric distribution utilities to issue requests for proposals (RFPs) for multi-year energy agreements, either in conjunction with or independently from environmental attributes associated with electric energy sources. 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.

Further amendments allow investor-owned electric distribution utilities to petition the public utilities commission for authorization to enter into agreements for up to 2 million megawatt hours of energy annually from existing, new, or incremental sources. The previous deadline for petitioning the commission has also been removed. The bill is designed to stabilize and reduce electricity costs for New Hampshire residents and businesses by facilitating the procurement of reliable and cost-effective energy sources. 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