Committee Summary for Senate Energy and Natural Resources (01/13/2026)

Bill/Time	Type	Title	Sponsor
SB590 2025-0056s 00:02:40.480 - 8:01:27 AM	Public Hearing	relative to electric aggregation plans.	Fenton, Donovan(D)[F]2025
SB590 2025-0056s -	Executive Session	relative to electric aggregation plans.	Fenton, Donovan(D)[F]2025
SB449 00:26:42.159 - 8:25:29 AM	Public Hearing	relative to the participation of customer generators in net energy meeting.	Lang, Timothy(R)[B-]2025
SB538 00:39:38.640 - 8:38:25 AM	Public Hearing	extending net metering eligibility terms for municipal energy projects.	Watters, David(D)[D-]2025
Unclear 01:07:33.119 - 9:06:20 AM	Executive Session	Unclear

SB590 2025-0056s: Senator Donovan Fenton, District 10 Support00:02:40.480 - 8:01:27 AM; Senator Fenton introduces SB590, requested by the town of Peterborough and the Community Power Coalition of New Hampshire. The bill allows municipalities with approved electric aggregation plans to establish a revolving fund using non-tax revenues to support energy services like efficiency, weatherization, demand reduction, and local projects, providing flexibility without expanding authority or using taxes. She offers amendment 2025-0056s to explicitly prohibit local tax funds in the revolving fund, reinforcing existing law.
SB590 2025-0056s: Representative Wendy Thomas, town of Maramack Support00:06:28.880 - 8:05:15 AM; Representative Thomas supports electric aggregation for empowering local energy choice, potential lower costs via collective buying, renewable options, innovation, community engagement, resilience, and voluntary opt-out. SB590 provides financial flexibility for municipalities to serve residents with lower-cost choices and will receive warm reception in the House.
SB590 2025-0056s: Dr. Bruce Tucker, President of Peterborough Community Power Committee, member of Community Power Coalition of NH Support00:08:26.960 - 8:07:13 AM; Dr. Tucker testifies in support, thanking Senator Fenton. Peterborough uses a small rate contribution to renewable funds for projects like solar on the new fire station, where costs exceeded budget. A revolving fund offers flexibility to capture revenues timely, avoiding lost opportunities, extra costs, and delays from waiting for town meetings. No tax money is involved; funds are from electricity costs for specific projects, not rate adjustments.
SB590 2025-0056s: Dina Dennis, Director of Regulatory and Legislative Affairs, Community Power Coalition of NH Support00:13:00.000 - 8:11:47 AM; Dina Dennis supports SB590 with the amendment, noting CPCCNH serves 175,000 customers in 70 programs, saving $16 million since launch. The bill enables reinvesting non-tax revenues into authorized energy services via a familiar revolving fund, fostering innovation and cost savings without mandates or authority expansion. It provides flexibility for opportunities like grants. The amendment clarifies no tax funds, aligning with RSA 53-E:5. Recommends ought to pass with amendment. Addresses question on rates: CPCCNH launches only if rates beat utilities, but current rates are higher due to market; innovations are planned.
SB590 2025-0056s: Nick Paul, Director of Legislative Affairs, Clean Energy New Hampshire Support00:20:21.600 - 8:19:08 AM; Nick Paul supports SB590 for authorizing revolving funds under RSA 319:5H to reinvest non-tax revenues into energy solutions like efficiency and peak reduction. It translates program performance into local benefits, improves planning continuity, and supports smaller towns with easy administration. No mandates, taxes, or expansions; recommends amendment and ought to pass.
SB590 2025-0056s: Deputy Commissioner Chris Helms, New Hampshire Department of Energy Information Only00:22:27.039 - 8:21:14 AM; Helms notes the Department does not regulate municipal aggregation. References prior expansions via SB286 and HB315 with opt-out, emphasizing legislative intent to avoid costs for non-participants. The amendment clarifies this. Defers municipal finance questions to policy committees.
SB449: Senator Tim Lang, District 2 Support00:26:42.159 - 8:25:29 AM; Senator Lang introduces SB449, noting it's the fourth time before the committee; last year it passed 50-0 but House inexpedient to legislate. Requests hold to rework with stakeholders, supported by business groups, tech, and builders. Plans policy amendment, not financial.
SB449: Nick Paul, Director of Legislative Affairs, Clean Energy New Hampshire Support00:28:29.279 - 8:27:16 AM; Nick Paul supports SB449 as an incremental net metering step, crucial for solar market signal with 20-year terms standard for financing. NH's program is modest, market-tied at 11 cents/kWh, lower than neighbors. Developers bear market risk. Highlights 1100 solar jobs; urges keeping bill moving with potential amendments for House viability.
SB449: Deputy Commissioner Chris Elms, New Hampshire Department of Energy Oppose00:32:27.519 - 8:31:14 AM; Elms outlines concerns: massive expansion of eligible load to over 50%, equity issues for residential ratepayers, potential cost shifting per VDER study, 20-year grandfathering, administrative burdens from group net metering (e.g., load shifting), and technical issues like ambiguous 33% consumption definition. Notes benefits may not broadly flow like in municipal expansions.
SB449: DJ Burke, Business and Industry Association Support00:36:50.640 - 8:35:37 AM; DJ Burke supports SB449, noting the Business and Industry Association has backed this concept previously. He emphasizes the bill's role in addressing high energy prices for businesses, especially manufacturers, by providing options for large energy consumers. Passing the bill signals the state's commitment to tackling energy cost issues, which are critical for business viability and long-term manufacturing in New Hampshire.
SB538: Senator David Waters, District 4 Support00:39:38.640 - 8:38:25 AM; Senator Waters introduces SB538 to extend net metering eligibility for municipal projects, addressing issues from HB315 in 2021 that lifted the 1 MW cap but faced PUC interpretation challenges. The bill ensures a 20-year net metering benefit from project start, grandfathering existing projects and allowing options for future tariffs. It affects towns like Pelham, Littleton, Plainfield, Milton, Concord, Ashland, Conway, Bow, Colebrook, Stratford, Farmington, and Hudson, enabling savings for residents.
SB538: Deputy Commissioner Chris Elms, New Hampshire Department of Energy Information Only00:43:21.040 - 8:42:08 AM; The Department of Energy is neutral on SB538 but provides policy context. It guarantees 20 years of existing compensation for group host net metering projects, expanding beyond the 2040 legacy period. Elms notes PUC alignment with DOE's position against rolling 20-year guarantees, citing risks of subsidies shifting costs to ratepayers and administrative complexities. He highlights that net metering aims for fair compensation, not subsidies, and future legislatures should not be bound by current guarantees amid evolving energy affordability concerns.
SB538: Nick Paul, Clean Energy New Hampshire Support00:53:45.599 - 8:52:32 AM; Nick Paul stresses SB538's importance for financing municipal solar projects by providing 20-year net metering certainty, preventing market retreat. He reports 274 MW of projects abandoned and a dozen companies exiting New Hampshire due to uncertainty, dropping pipeline from 287 MW to 13 MW. This impacts 1100 solar jobs and local economies; the bill offers a narrow fix to restore bankable terms without broader redesign.
SB538: Jim Monahan, New Hampshire Association of Counties and energy firms Support00:58:08.480 - 8:56:55 AM; Jim Monahan supports SB538 on behalf of counties and towns like Hudson, Hooksett, Berlin, Hampton, and Conway. The bill aligns 2021 legislation with financing realities for pipeline projects, standardizing 20-year terms common in energy projects. He addresses DOE concerns, offers collaboration, and notes net metering rates fluctuate with markets, not fixed subsidies. Delays in interconnection have hindered projects, justifying legislative intervention.
Unclear: Committee Members Information Only01:07:33.119 - 9:06:20 AM; The committee moves to executive session to discuss updates on bills like SB540 (portable solar), proposing clarifications on wattage, device limits, simplified utility notification instead of registry, and safety standards. For conservation commissions, amendments limit wildlife data use to transportation planning and prohibit regulatory purposes. Drafting is underway, with hopes for action next week.

Avard, Kevin(Chairman)(R)[B]2025	Pearl, Howard (V Chairman)(R)[B]2025	Watters, David(D)[D-]2025
Rosenwald, Cindy(D)[F]2025	McConkey, Mark(R)[B]2025