HB755

Dear Chairperson and Members of the House Science, Technology & Energy Committee, My name is Nicholas Gosling, and I am a resident of Bristol, New Hampshire. I am writing to express my strong support for HB 755, a bill that promotes competition, innovation, and consumer choice in our state’s energy market. New Hampshire has a proud tradition of independence and free enterprise. Our state has long valued the right of individuals and communities to make their own choices, and our energy market should be no different. Unfortunately, the current system favors monopoly utilities over competitive suppliers, limiting the options available to consumers and stifling local energy development. HB 755 seeks to correct this imbalance by: - **Leveling the playing field**: The bill ensures that competitive suppliers, including Community Power Aggregations (CPAs), have the same opportunities as utilities to develop local energy projects and programs that benefit consumers. - **Encouraging market-driven innovation**: By removing barriers to private investment in distributed energy resources like battery storage and local renewable generation, HB 755 empowers businesses and municipalities to pursue cost-saving, forward-thinking energy solutions. - **Expanding consumer choice**: More competition means more options for residents and businesses, leading to lower costs and greater access to clean, reliable power. This bill is a natural extension of New Hampshire’s commitment to free markets and local control. It ensures that our energy future is driven by innovation and consumer demand rather than outdated monopolistic structures. I urge this committee to support HB 755 and vote **Ought to Pass** to uphold our state’s values of independence, competition, and economic opportunity. Thank you for your time and consideration. Sincerely, Nicholas Gosling Bristol, NH nicholas.gosling@gmail.com

I support this bill because we need a healthy public utility grid. Please do the right thing.

Dear Members of NH House Science, Technology & Energy Committee, I am writing to express my support for bill HB 755. HB 755 builds on NH’s market-driven energy policies to empower local providers to develop cost effective New Hampshire-based energy projects that reduce out-of-state energy costs and make the Granite State more energy independent. The Energy Forward Act enables retail electricity market reforms to level the playing field between utilities and competitive suppliers, including Community Power Aggregations, in developing local energy projects and programs that create local economic benefits and cost savings for customers. New Hampshire energy policy has long-favored market competition but unfortunately, that has not been fully realized. Competitive entities should be empowered to innovate alongside regulated monopoly utility projects. The Energy Forward Act will enable private, market-based investment in local power resources to lower retail customer costs under a market-based framework. Resources like battery storage, community-scale power generation, and flexible customer demand technologies can lower power costs from ISO New England and the inter-state transmission network. Utilities are proposing and developing innovative local energy programs that reduce costs and benefit customers. Examples include: * Liberty Utilities “Time-of-Use” Battery Storage Program *Unitil Kingston Solar Tracker * Eversource proposed Westmoreland Microgrid (unfortunately it did not come to fruition) New Hampshire customers will benefit from more market-based development of local distributed energy. The Energy Forward Act extends the opportunities to pursue development of local energy projects that are currently available to monopoly utilities more broadly to a marketplace of service providers. Thank you for your time and your attention to this matter! Sincerely yours, Annette Dey, P.E. Resident of Walpole, NH

I support this bill because it will lower NH energy costs through free market competition, by enabling more local energy projects.

It is very important to support and pass the Energy Forward Act. New Hampshire got off to a good start in energy market reform years ago but has since lost its way. We need to have free market competition - particularly for smaller, local energy projects. The playing field needs to be leveled so that smaller producers are not held at a competitive disadvantage. The Energy Forward Act works to rectify the inequities that are disincentivizing investment by local energy generators. I urge you to pass this very important bill.

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.

As a mother I feel strongly that decisions related to pregnancy are personal between a women and her partner and her doctor. Not every pregnancy goes as hoped for or when the woman is ready. It is presumptuous for anyone else to think they know the right answers to difficult questions without knowing the circumstances involved. Voters are not looking for politicians to help them make difficult choices for them or treat women as 2nd class citizens.

Please support this bill to revise the definition of grid modernization to add 'cost effective measures'.

Please vote in favor of HB 755, HB 759, and HB 761, each of which is a component of the NH Energy Forward Act. Renewable energy, energy storage, and local energy projects will not just lower costs for municipalities and their ratepayers, they will also make NH more resilient, sustainable, and energy independent--and they will foster innovation. Please also vote to pass HB 760 to protect the integrity of our state's competitive energy market--ensuring that policies do not unfairly disadvantage the Community Power programs that are helping a growing number of NH ratepayers gain greater control over their energy costs and greater resilience against energy market spikes. In some case, these programs also establish reserve funds that will support community-based renewable energy projects and/or manage risk for ratepayers. Thank you.

I am in support of this bill because it provides opportunities for NH projects that lower costs and reduce peak demand. Other key components would include time-varying rates for EV's, storage and local energy projects. Local projects can reduce demand on the grid reducing very costly peak power procurement. It would also potentially reduce the need for investment in the grid. It would therefore strengthen the grid reliability while reducing costs for NH ratepayers

Dear Members of the House Science, Technology, & Energy Committee, My name is Zeke Schmois, and I am a resident of Kensington, NH. I am writing in strong support of HB 755, as a homeowner who has fully electrified my home and vehicles and as someone deeply concerned about rising electricity costs in New Hampshire. This bill is a crucial step toward improving energy affordability and ensuring our electricity system works for consumers, not just utilities. By making energy pricing fairer and encouraging cost-effective electrification, HB 755 supports homeowners and businesses in reducing their long-term energy expenses. In a time when high energy costs burden families, we must adopt policies that promote transparency, competition, and efficiency in our electric grid. I urge you to vote YES on HB 755. Thank you for your time and consideration. Sincerely, Zeke Schmois 133 Amesbury Rd Kensington, NH

Dear Science, Technology, and Energy Committee Members. I would like to express my support for HB 755 which would encourage efficiency and innovation in the electric utility market.. As a owner of a home solar system, I can attest to all the benefits that accrue from having such a system. Sincerely John Walsh New London, NH

This bill would help to create a competitive market for electricity suppliers in the state which would help keep electric rates more reasonable for citizens.

We need to update our grid. Please support this bill. Rebecca MacKenzie, Claremont, NH

Please support the Energy Forward Act, HB755, to help NH become more energy independent by supporting the construction of local energy sources. This will reduce costs for all residents by reducing transmission and peak energy demands. We also need innovative rates to better reflect the actual cost of electricity and allow for our local energy sources to be dispatched at times when energy usage is high. This will strengthen the grid while bringing down costs for all NH residents and increase our resiliency and independence from outside energy sources.

I support this critical bill because it is essential to prevent the PUC from allowing the competitive energy marketplace to be undermined. Allowing utilities to breach the divide between Supply and Delivery charges would allow utilities to under-charge for energy in ways that the alternate energy suppliers cannot do. Allowing underbilling to be "socialized" by shifting Supply costs to Stranded Cost Recovery Charges would mean that those purchasing energy from alternate energy suppliers would be subsidizing those who purchase the utility default.

Dear Members of NH House Science, Technology & Energy Committee, I am writing to express strong support for HB 755 for the following reasons. This bill: 1. Lowers Costs: Enabling competitors to have access to the same price signals and tools as the utilities will allow more NH homes, businesses, and communities to benefit from lowered energy costs by leveraging local distributed energy. This in turn will drive down costs for everyone regardless of whether they participate in such programs. 2. Supports Local Needs: Many consumers for the first time are now reaping the benefits of market competition, choice, and cost savings through Community Power. The reforms proposed in HB755 are aligned with the purpose of the Community Power Act —to “encourage voluntary, cost effective and innovative solutions to local needs with careful consideration of local conditions and opportunities.” 3. Bolsters Customer Choice: Consumers know best how to spend their own money. By unlocking price signals, consumers will be able to make informed choices that meet their energy and budgetary needs. 4. Preserve the NH Advantage: Investing in local distributed energy will keep more money in the pockets of NH consumers while growing the economy and preserving the NH Advantage. 5. Expand Market Competition: The reforms prescribed in HB 755 will level the playing field between utilities and the competitive market. This will provide competitors such as Community Power Aggregations with the incentives they need to be able to compete and provide the most innovative and cost-effective energy solutions to customers on a voluntary basis. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Sincerely, Marianne Horn Kensington, NH

I’m writing to express my support for HB 755-FN because it removes key barriers that are preventing fair competition and cost-saving energy solutions in New Hampshire. Outdated regulations and weak enforcement allow utilities to maintain control over market access, making it difficult for local energy projects to compete, resulting in higher costs and antiquated supply mechanisms. This bill addresses those problems by opening up and modernizing essential parts of the electric grid and billing system. One of the biggest issues is the lack of retail metering options that would allow more energy suppliers to compete and give customers more choices. Expanding retail metering would finally give customers the freedom to choose innovative energy solutions and pricing models, rather than being locked into outdated utility-controlled structures. Additionally, allowing interval metering is a necessary step toward a more modern and efficient grid. Many customers and businesses want to take advantage of time-based pricing and demand response programs, but utilities have resisted adopting modern metering technology—keeping customers from accessing tools that could lower costs and improve efficiency. HB 755-FN would empower customers to better manage their energy use and reduce costs. The bill also provides for load settlement, ensuring that energy suppliers have accurate data on electricity consumption. Without standardized load settlement, competitive suppliers are forced to operate with incomplete or delayed data, making it harder to fairly compete with utilities that control the system. Fixing this will allow for more accurate billing and market transparency. Finally, modernizing the billing system is critical to making all of these reforms work. The current system is outdated and favors monopoly utilities over competitive suppliers. By updating billing processes, HB 755-FN ensures that customers can easily access their usage data, receive fair billing, and take advantage of new energy options. These changes are necessary to remove artificial barriers that protect utility monopolies at the expense of ratepayers. By expanding metering options, improving energy tracking, and modernizing billing, HB 755-FN will create a more competitive and consumer-friendly energy market. I urge you to support this bill to help lower costs, encourage innovation, and give customers more control over their energy choices. New Hampshire residents deserve a fair energy market that works for everyone, not just utility monopolies. I urge you to support HB 755-FN and take this important step toward a more competitive and consumer-friendly energy system.

NH law is clear: electricity suppliers should be able to compete to provide wholesale and retail services, including offering distributed energy resources and programs. NH-based energy resources can strategically lower out-of-state costs of ISO New England and the regional transmission grid. But the competitive market remains stymied. Monopoly utilities need clear direction to structurally enable market competition. This bill puts forward reforms that would enable a marketplace for local energy resources, generation, energy storage, and demand management to lower NH energy costs. What is needed is data access, price signals, accurate "wholesale load settlement" calculations, and other structural fixes so the marketplace can offer innovative products and services to customers, unobstructed by outdated systems of regulated monopolies. We've tried relying upon the PUC's administrative regulatory process -- we know it obstructs innovation instead of enabling it. The public interest would be better served by allowing competitive entities to innovate freely and enabling private investment into the local energy market with compensation based on actual performance and value produced (supply/demand). That's what HB755 aims to achieve.

This bill is good for NH consumers!

Please support fair competition in the energy marketplace to benefit all N.H. consumers.

I am now retired and have lived in New Hampshire since 2001, and watched my property taxes as well as the costs of electricity and oil climb steadily. I strongly urge you to support HB 755.

The Energy Forward Act extends the opportunities to pursue development of local energy projects to a broader marketplace of service providers. Currently, this is available only to the big utilities. The development of local energy projects can save money in several ways. First, generating and consuming electricity locally saves money because the energy stays within the distribution system and does not have to travel through the transmission system. Second, generating/supplying electricity at times of high demand helps decrease costs for everyone. Also, if customers are able to see the price signals that exist in the system, they will be empowered to use less when it costs more and use more when it costs less. I support this important bill.

Dear Members of NH House Science, Technology & Energy Committee, I am writing to express strong support for HB 755. The Energy Forward Act enables retail electricity market reforms to level the playing field between utilities and competitive suppliers, including Community Power Aggregations, in developing local energy projects and programs that create local economic benefits and cost savings for customers. The many benefits for NH include: * Lowers Costs: Enabling competitors to have access to the same price signals and tools as the utilities will allow more NH homes, businesses, and communities to benefit from lowered energy costs by leveraging local distributed energy. This in turn will drive down costs for everyone regardless of whether they participate in such programs. *Support Local Needs: Thanks to NH lawmakers who enabled competition in NH’s electricity market nearly 30 years ago, many consumers for the first time are now reaping the benefits of market competition, choice, and cost savings through Community Power. The reforms proposed in the Energy Freedom Act are aligned with the purpose of the Community Power Act —to “encourage voluntary, cost effective and innovative solutions to local needs with careful consideration of local conditions and opportunities.” * Bolsters Customer Choice: Consumers know best how to spend their own money. By unlocking price signals, consumers will be able to make informed choices that meet their energy and budgetary needs. * Preserve the NH Advantage: Investing in local distributed energy will keep more money in the pockets of NH consumers while growing the economy and preserving the NH Advantage. *Expand Market Competition: The reforms prescribed in HB 755 will level the playing field between utilities and the competitive market. This will provide competitors such as Community Power Aggregations with the incentives they need to be able to compete and provide the most innovative and cost-effective energy solutions to customers on a voluntary basis. HB 755 can enable market competition from energy developers, competitive suppliers, and community power providers can reduce costs for customers Thank you for your time and attention to this matter. Sincerely, Carol Schutte Hampton Falls