relative to port electrification, microgrid development, and cybersecurity standards for energy and water systems.

The bill's status label changed from 'As Amended by the House' to 'Version Adopted by Both Bodies,' reflecting that it passed both legislative chambers.

A new date stamp (06/04/2026 2028EBA) was added, marking the enrollment/approval date after both bodies adopted the bill.

In Section 5 (Cybersecurity and Electric Grid Interconnection Guidelines), the House added 'electric distribution utilities' to the list of parties the Department of Energy must consult with when determining the need for cybersecurity guidelines or standards for distributed energy generation and related devices. The Senate version did not include this group in the consultation requirement.

All provisions related to transmission corridors and interstate trucking charging terminals were removed, including references to HVDC infrastructure, 230kV substations, the Northeast Corridor Freight Corridor Charging Plan, and siting of generation at charging terminals.

The multi-agency task force was narrowed from covering transmission corridors, trucking charging terminals, AND port electrification to covering only port electrification. Leadership shifted from the DOT commissioner (chair) to the director of ports and harbors (chair).

The microgrid pilot program (which authorized the department to identify up to five sites and adopt policies/regulations) was replaced with an investigative proceeding that must examine financing options including C-PACER, identify interested political subdivisions and industrial users, explore sandbox methodology, assess cybersecurity standards, and evaluate whether legislation or regulatory relief is needed for pilot projects. Findings must be reported to the legislature within one year.

The cybersecurity section was renamed to 'Cybersecurity and Electric Grid Interconnection Guidelines' and now requires the department of energy to initiate a proceeding within 120 days in consultation with the governor's advisor for utility critical infrastructure cybersecurity, the New England Utility Cybersecurity Integration Collaborative, DER businesses, and regional/federal transmission authorities.

A new detailed definition of 'microgrid' was added to RSA 162-R:1 (paragraph III-a), covering grid-connected/island mode operation, system modeling/simulation, power electronic converters, hardware-in-the-loop testing, and hybrid microgrid testing including wind turbines, PV, dynamometers, loads, and energy storage.

The provision stating that report preparation costs would be a recoverable expense borne by the department of energy was removed from the port electrification section.