HB 543 - AS INTRODUCED
2015 SESSION
15-0638
06/03
HOUSE BILL 543
AN ACT repealing the electric renewable portfolio standard.
SPONSORS: Rep. Fromuth, Hills 7; Rep. O'Connor, Rock 6; Rep. Gould, Hills 7; Rep. Abramson, Rock 20; Rep. Potucek, Rock 6; Sen. Sanborn, Dist 9
COMMITTEE: Science, Technology and Energy
This bill repeals the electric renewable portfolio standard.
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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.
Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]
Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
15-0638
06/03
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Fifteen
AN ACT repealing the electric renewable portfolio standard.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 Repeal. RSA 362-F, relative to electric renewable portfolio standard, is repealed.
2 Electric Utility Investment in Distributed Energy Resources; Purpose. Amend RSA 374-G:1 to read as follows:
374-G:1 Purpose. Distributed energy resources can increase overall energy efficiency and provide energy security and diversity by eliminating, displacing, or better managing traditional fossil fuel energy deliveries from the centralized bulk power grid[, in keeping with the objectives of RSA 362-F:1]. It is therefore in the public interest to stimulate investment in distributed energy resources in New Hampshire in diverse ways, including by encouraging New Hampshire electric public utilities to invest in renewable and clean distributed energy resources at the lowest reasonable cost to taxpayers benefiting the transmission and distribution system under state regulatory oversight.
3 Disclosure of Energy Sources by Providers of Electricity. Amend RSA 378:49 to read as follows:
378:49 Disclosure of Electric Service Energy Sources and Environmental Characteristics.
I. The public utilities commission shall, after notice and hearing, by order or rule, approve a standard format and methodology that providers of electricity[, as defined in RSA 362-F:2, XIV,] shall use when providing information to existing or prospective customers regarding the energy sources and environmental characteristics of their electric service. Such information shall include but not be limited to:
(a) A presentation of energy sources used to generate the electricity and their respective contributions to the service’s total energy mix, by percentage;
(b) The environmental characteristics of the service’s energy mix, including but not limited to air pollutant emission rates; and
(c) A comparison of source and emissions data between the service’s energy mix and the average energy mix of the region available from the Independent System Operator of New England.
II. Each provider of electricity[, as defined in RSA 362-F:2, XIV,] shall in standard format:
(a) Provide and make easily accessible on the provider’s Internet site the information for each electric service that it sells in the state;
(b) Update such information at least annually; and
(c) Provide such information to electric customers at least annually in conjunction with billing, whether distributed through the mail or online, or other mailed or online communication to customers, as approved by the commission.
III. Appropriate access or reference to relevant public information, including emissions by source, that is more detailed than that contained in the standard format shall be included in the standard format.
4 Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative; Reserve for Voluntary Purchase of Renewable Energy Credits. Amend RSA 125-O:25 to read as follows:
125-O:25 Set Aside for Voluntary Purchase of Renewable Energy Certificates.
I. The department shall reserve from auction, for retirement purposes, a quantity of budget allowances, not to exceed one percent of the annual budget, [equivalent to the CO2 emissions reductions associated with renewable energy certificates recognized under RSA 362-F and] purchased voluntarily by electricity customers and not resold.
II. Budgeted allowances reserved under paragraph I not retired at the end of each year shall be auctioned the following calendar year.
5 Energy Facility Siting; Wind Energy Systems. Amend RSA 162-H:10-a, I to read as follows:
I. To meet the objectives of this chapter, [and with due regard for the renewable energy goals of RSA 362-F,] including promoting the use of renewable resources, reducing greenhouse gas and other air pollutant emissions, and addressing dependence on imported fuels, the general court finds that appropriately sited and conditioned wind energy systems subject to committee approval have the potential to assist the state in accomplishing these goals. Accordingly, the general court finds that it is in the public interest for the site evaluation committee to establish criteria or standards governing the siting of wind energy systems in order to ensure that the potential benefits of such systems are appropriately considered and unreasonable adverse effects avoided through a comprehensive, transparent, and predictable process. When establishing any criteria, standard, or rule for a wind energy system or when specifying the type of information that a wind energy applicant shall provide to the committee for its decision-making, the committee shall rely upon the best available evidence.
6 Default Service. Amend RSA 374-F:3, V(c) to read as follows:
(c) Default service should be designed to provide a safety net and to assure universal access and system integrity. Default service should be procured through the competitive market and may be administered by independent third parties. [Any prudently incurred costs arising from compliance with the renewable portfolio standards of RSA 362-F for default service or purchased power agreements shall be recovered through the default service charge.] The allocation of the costs of administering default service should be borne by the customers of default service in a manner approved by the commission. If the commission determines it to be in the public interest, the commission may implement measures to discourage misuse, or long-term use, of default service. Revenues, if any, generated from such measures should be used to defray stranded costs.
7 Renewable Energy Source Option. Amend RSA 374-F:3, V(f)(7) to read as follows:
(7) For purposes of consumer protection and the maintenance of program integrity, reasonable efforts should be made to assure that the renewable energy source component of an RES option is not separately advertised, claimed, or sold as part of any other electricity service or transaction[, including compliance with the renewable portfolio standards under RSA 362-F].
8 Utility Rates; Determination of Public Interest. Amend RSA 374-G:5, II(b) to read as follows:
(b) The efficient and cost-effective realization of the purposes of the [renewable portfolio standards of RSA 362-F and the] restructuring policy principles of RSA 374-F:3.
9 Repeal. The following are repealed:
I. RSA 374-G:3, IV, relative to biomass-fueled generation.
II. RSA 374-G:4, III, relative to additional nonrenewable generation.
III. RSA 374-F:3, V(f)(8), relative to renewable energy fund.
IV. RSA 374-F:3, V(f)(1), relative to definition of renewable energy source.
V. RSA 6:12, I(b)(253), relative to renewable energy fund.
VI. RSA 162-H:21, II, relative to one-time grant for renewable energy fund.
10 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.