New Hampshire PUC Staff Issue Proposed Rules for NM Updates
NEW HAMPSHIRE – On April 22, the New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission (PUC) Staff issued a draft proposal for a net metering rule revision. These rules seem to be in compliance with 2007 revisions to New Hampshire Statute 362-A.Namely, these proposed rules allow for the interconnection of facilities producing up to 100 kW (as opposed…
NEW HAMPSHIRE – On April 22, the New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission (PUC) Staff issued a draft proposal for a net metering rule revision. These rules seem to be in compliance with 2007 revisions to New Hampshire Statute 362-A.Namely, these proposed rules allow for the interconnection of facilities producing up to 100 kW (as opposed to the previous 25 kW), broaden eligible net metering technologies from solar, wind and hydro to all renewables, and increase the aggregate capacity from .05% to 1.0% of the annual peak energy demand distributed by each utility.
The draft proposal also eliminates the requirement for an external disconnect switch but leaves guidelines in place “in the event that customers choose to install one.” In lieu of requiring a utility and customer to execute a mutual indemnity agreement, the proposal contains a mutual indemnity provision.
The Staff’s recommendation requires all facilities larger than 10 kW to pass a witness test before the utility authorizes the interconnection. It additionally adds a provision for an application completeness review which reflects “the financial and other obligations of a customer-generator to its distribution utility to assure that generation facilities are appropriately designed, installed and interconnected.”
Staff recommended that a docket be opened for the re-adoption, with amendment, of the net metering rules.
