Rep. Mike Harrington

Maddy summaryHB 1721 limits new renewable energy system enrollment under New Hampshire's Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) program. It prohibits any new systems from joining after a six-month window following its effective date (July 1, 2026), restricting eligibility to systems operational before 2026. The bill caps renewable energy certificate (REC) eligibility at 20 years per system, with existing systems already over 15 years receiving up to five additional years of credits. It also requires the Department of Energy to annually reduce Alternative Compliance Payments (ACPs) as the number of eligible systems declines, directly affecting future RPS program funding.

Maddy summaryHB 1002 repeals the property tax exemption for solar energy systems, meaning homeowners and businesses with solar installations will no longer be excluded from taxable property assessments. The bill removes specific tax code provisions (RSA 72:62 and related sections) that previously allowed solar systems to be valued separately for tax purposes. Starting April 1, 2027, solar energy systems will be included in standard property tax valuations, requiring owners to pay taxes on these systems as part of their property assessment. This change directly affects property owners who currently benefit from the exemption, shifting their tax obligation to align with standard property valuation practices.

Maddy summaryHB 1044 requires that vacancies in county commissioner offices be filled by the members of the county convention (or, for Hillsborough County, convention members representing the commissioner's district) through a majority vote. This replaces the previous method described in brackets within the existing law (RSA 661:9, II(a)). The appointed commissioner serves until the next biennial election, and if the vacancy is filled for less than the remaining term, that district is added to the next election ballot. The bill applies to all counties and takes effect 60 days after passage.

Maddy summaryHB 1738 reduces New Hampshire's annual carbon dioxide emissions budget allowances for 2027-2030 and beyond, lowering the total from previous levels (e.g., to 2,993,220 allowances for 2027). It establishes cost containment triggers: if auction prices reach $19.50 or higher in 2027, the state must release additional allowances to prevent excessive price spikes. This directly affects electricity generators (who must purchase allowances) and ratepayers (who pay for these allowances through utility bills). The bill also simplifies the program by repealing outdated definitions related to banked allowances.

Maddy summaryHB 1718 authorizes residential and commercial customers with renewable energy systems (like solar panels) to add battery storage without affecting their eligibility for net metering. The bill updates definitions to clarify that energy storage charged solely from renewable sources does not count toward the 1-megawatt size limit for net metering eligibility. It grants the Department of Energy rulemaking authority for customer energy storage systems and gives the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) the power to set compensation terms for energy exported from storage systems. This bill directly affects homeowners and businesses using renewable energy who want to install battery storage to use more of their own generated power. The law takes effect 60 days after enactment with no state funding impact.

Maddy summaryHB 1742 protects customers who generate their own electricity (like solar panel owners) from being accidentally enrolled in third-party power programs without their consent. It requires utilities to investigate such cases within 10 business days and restore affected customers to their standard utility service within 5 days if confirmed. For up to six months prior to restoration, utilities must apply retroactive net metering credits for electricity they exported to the grid but weren't credited for during the incorrect enrollment. This ensures customers aren't financially penalized for errors in enrollment.

Maddy summaryHB 1733 clarifies that electricity utilities cannot charge customers who leave default service plans for cost differences from competitive energy markets. The bill requires that any adjustments for over- or underpayment of energy costs must be handled through future changes to the default service rate itself, not through extra fees. This directly affects residential and business customers who switch away from a utility's default electricity plan. The key provision prevents utilities from collecting "true-up" charges as mandatory fees from customers who no longer use the default service.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows New Hampshire electric utilities to recover storm-related repair costs by issuing special bonds (rated AAA) to finance infrastructure resilience. Utilities would apply to the Public Utilities Commission for approval to issue these bonds, which would be repaid through a small fee added to customers' electricity bills. The bill defines "storm costs" as prudently incurred expenses for storm preparation, restoration, and response, requiring Commission approval within 60 days. This mechanism aims to provide faster cost recovery while potentially keeping overall electricity rates lower than traditional rate-based recovery methods.

Maddy summaryHB 1166 restricts the contents of New Hampshire's budget trailer bill, prohibiting any statutory changes not explicitly required to implement the biennial budget. It requires that every line item in the trailer bill must reference the specific budget bill line item it supports. This bill applies to the governor's submission of the trailer bill and subsequent legislative amendments, ensuring all changes directly relate to budget implementation. The law mandates the trailer bill be publicly posted on the Department of Administrative Services' website upon submission. This is a procedural change affecting budget document formatting, not substantive policy.

Maddy summaryHB 1060 simplifies engineering licensure requirements by removing two specific barriers. It eliminates the requirement that applicants must have 10+ years of engineering experience supervised by a licensed engineer, and removes the condition that their education or experience must be deemed "satisfactory to the board." This change directly affects engineers with extensive experience who are seeking licensure through the exam process, particularly those whose work history doesn’t meet the previous supervision standard. The bill allows these applicants to apply directly for the professional engineering exam without needing prior board approval of their experience. The law takes effect 60 days after passage.