Energy

HB 1775 allows New Hampshire electric utilities to own or invest in natural gas and nuclear power generation facilities, up to 10% of their total peak electricity demand. Utilities must seek approval from the Public Utilities Commission for these investments and can recover costs through customer rates. The bill repeals prior restrictions on utility-funded generation equipment and expands the definition of eligible investments to include natural gas and nuclear resources. This directly affects NH utilities by changing their investment rules, with no new state funding required.

HB 219 phases out New Hampshire's minimum requirement for electricity providers to source a certain percentage of power from renewable sources. It mandates a 20% annual reduction in these renewable energy targets starting in 2026, fully eliminating the minimum standard by 2030. This directly affects electricity providers (including distribution companies, competitive suppliers, and community aggregators) who must meet these renewable sourcing requirements. The bill replaces the current standard with a structured 5-year phase-out, allowing utilities to offer 100% renewable power options to default service customers starting in 2026.