HB460

We have solar panels that we invested in to help us and the state. We wish to continue to receive credit for what we produce!

This bill aims to ensure that the interests of customer-generators and limited producers receive credit for the value they produce and the costs they avoid, in comparison to the benefits claimed by the utility in its investment proposal.

Please ITL HB 224 - it could have the unintended consequence of INCREASING energy costs for NH residents and businesses, stalling job creation and economic growth in local industries, and undermining efforts to reduce emissions that harm us all.

We should have fair competitive markets that stimulate innovation and investments in distributed energy projects and lower costs for consumers. Utilities should not have an unfair advantage in building new energy projects. Competitive market suppliers should have the same access to tools that make these investments and innovations possible. Consumers served by competitive market suppliers should not be disadvantaged by rules or practices that give an unfair advantage to utilities.

I support this bill

For too long the Investor Owned Utilities have stifled the competitive energy markets and have not been responsive to customers. Providing access to non-utilities will level the playing field and lower costs for all New Hampshire residents and businesses.

New Hampshire needs to produce more cost-effective local energy solutions. Market competition should drive those solutions and the utilities should not be given special treatment when investing in projects that lower inter-state transmission charges.

Utilities are making investments in distributed energy resources (e.g., batteries, local renewable energy generators) that lower costs from ISO New England and inter-state Transmission charges. The competitive market, and Community Power, should have access to the same tools and price signals that utilities use to justify these projects. **This bill will help enable market competition in development of cost-effective local energy solutions, giving customers more choices and letting the market drive innovation and cost savings.

People who invest their own money in infrastructure improvements should receive a fair return on that investment as measured by the benefits conveyed.

This bill is in the customer's interest. It is good for NH to continue customer generated electric

Belknap County supports this bill. As members of the Community Power Coalition we are able to save electricity costs for our government as well as all residents of Belknap County. It's important to allow us to reduce taxes and save money for our citizens. Maintaining competition in utility markets should be the goal and is the right path for New Hampshire. Submitted by: Debra Shackett, Belknap County Administrator

This bill levels the playing field between utilities and the competitive market. It is in the best interest of NH because it lowers cost, expands choice and market competition.

This change provides valuable guidance to the PUC to help ensure that electric rates are truly competitive.

Please support this good bill, a Win Win, for all NH electricity costomers. Helps keep our electricity needs lower and avoiding building new expensive power plants which would increase our rates. This bill aims to ensure that the interests of customer-generators and limited producers receive credit for the value they produce and the costs they avoid, in comparison to the benefits claimed by the utility in its investment proposal. The new legal language inserted into the current law specifies that the PUC must assess these “distributed energy costs” that customers and smaller producers generate (e.g. solar, wind, thermal), and how they impact the state's energy services market. SUPPORTED by Community Power Coalition of NH.

I support this bill to help level the playing field between utilities and competitive suppliers, like CPCNH.

I SUPPORT this bill. It is important that non-utility entities have an equal footing to enable the open and competitive market that has been expected for NH power supply, and shown recently to drive prices down. While that has been successful with normal rates currently, projects for supply generation (solar, wind, etc) or supply shifting (storage) owned by utilities can dramatically change how supply is handled and priced due to the dynamic nature of power pricing. If the listed areas of pricing for project compensation are only accessible to utilities as they are without this bill, competition will not be on an even playing field with the distribution utilities.

This bill will help enable market competition in development of cost-effective local energy solutions, giving customers more choices and letting the market drive innovation and cost savings.

HB 460 would give full credit to customer-generators and limited producers for the value they produce and the costs they avoid – just as those values and costs are considered for utilities in their investment proposals. The PUC would be required to acknowledge the contributions to NH’s energy services market that derive from the “distributed energy costs” of small producers and customer-generators.

There should be equal access to development of cost-effective local energy solutions such as batteries and renewable energy. Community Power should be able to use the same innovative tools that the utilities have access to.

I support changes to even the playing field as proposed by CPCNH. The electric rates to all ratepayers have benefited so far from CPCNH’s efforts. Without fair access to data, the utilities with DERs and the unfair ability to justify these will have an advantage that will inevitably be unfair to ratepayers

The contents of the Renewable Energy Fund should be used to invest in clean energy technologies, including building weatherization, that reduce energy costs for everyone, create jobs and drive local economic growth.

I represent a small solar power provider. The competitive market, and Community Power, should have access to the same tools and price signals that utilities use to justify Investment in Distributed Energy Resources. That is how competitive markets work best.

We are all aware of the growing value that DERs have in reducing energy costs in New Hampshire. New Hampshire is not endowed with natural gas, oil, or coal resources in state, but we do have an abundance of renewable energy sources such as hydro, wind, biomass, and solar. A key to unlocking more of this value is to allow competitive energy suppliers access to the same tools that utilities already enjoy. The utility monopolies have limited interest in reducing energy costs, as their money is made on the distribution side of the business, by law. Let's level the playing field and allow the competitive marketplace to lower energy prices.

Utilities are making investments in distributed energy resources (e.g., batteries, local renewable energy generators) that lower costs from ISO New England and inter-state Transmission charges. The competitive market should have access to the same tools and price signals that utilities use to justify these projects. This bill will help enable market competition in development of cost-effective local energy solutions, giving customers more choices, and allowing competition to drive innovation and cost savings.

This bill will be positive for towns/cities that are doing or considering community power.