(New Title) relative to relative to the participation of large customer-generators in net metering and relative to energy storage in connection with net metering.
SB 449 expands New Hampshire’s net metering framework for larger customer-generators and adds explicit treatment of energy storage paired with renewable generation. The bill requires electric distribution utilities to offer alternative net metering tariffs consistent with PUC Order No. 26,029 and commission rules, and it creates a new definition for “industrial customer” covering certain customer-generators over 1 megawatt and under 5 megawatts that serve one industrial entity with one or more accounts in the same utility territory. It also preserves tariff eligibility for qualifying projects that submit interconnection applications by December 31, 2031, with extended grandfathering periods tied to the start of compensation and potential transition to future tariffs.
The bill further clarifies that energy storage may be added to and charged solely from a qualifying renewable generation facility without affecting the facility’s size determination for net metering eligibility. It directs the Department of Energy to adopt rules for the installation and interconnection of customer energy storage systems, while allowing the Public Utilities Commission to set terms and compensation for grid exports from storage paired with renewable generation. In effect, the bill updates RSA 362-A and RSA 374-H to accommodate larger behind-the-meter projects, industrial hosts, and storage resources within the state’s net metering regime.
SB 449 would amend New Hampshire’s net metering statutes to broaden eligibility for larger renewable projects, create a new industrial customer category, and formalize the role of energy storage in net metering. It would require utilities to make alternative tariffs available under existing PUC order and rules, extend tariff eligibility for certain projects through 2040 or for 20 years depending on circumstances, and authorize the Department of Energy and PUC to regulate storage installation, interconnection, and compensation. The bill is expected to increase utility costs and, through utility assessments and rate impacts, could raise electricity expenditures for the state, counties, municipalities, and other ratepayers; the fiscal note estimates indeterminable increases beginning in FY 2028 and potential need for additional departmental staffing.
The available record suggests mixed sentiment. The bill advanced with substantial support in the Senate, reflecting interest in expanding net metering opportunities for larger renewable and industrial projects and in providing clearer rules for energy storage. At the same time, the House committee history shows an ITL vote, indicating opposition or concern in the House committee process. No committee transcript is provided, so the record does not show detailed debate, but the split action suggests the bill was viewed favorably by supporters of distributed generation and less favorably by those concerned about cost, rate impacts, or program expansion.
The main points of contention are likely the expansion of net metering eligibility to larger facilities and industrial hosts, the long-term grandfathering of tariff rights, and the cost shift to utility ratepayers. The fiscal note emphasizes that increased net metering credits and administrative tracking costs would be passed through electric rates, and that the Department of Energy may need additional staff to administer the expanded program. Supporters appear to favor the bill’s accommodation of larger customer-generators and storage, while opponents likely focus on utility cost increases, administrative complexity, and the policy implications of extending favorable tariff treatment for many years.