Small Renewable Energy Systems Incentive Bill To Become Law
May 2008
Thanks to the hard work, patience and support of the NHSEA membership and volunteer Board, HB1628 has passed! Now New Hampshire has a financial incentive for small renewable energy systems! Some final tweaking through the senate has clarified some of the language, and we thank you for all of your input, as well as the consistent support from the Public Utilities Commission and Office of Consumer Advocate, and so many of the legislators that supported this effort. Mostly, however, we thank Representative Mike Kaelin (D-Lyndeborough), prime sponsor of this bill, for his focus and courage on securing this important program. Drop a line to Rep. Kaelin at mike@kaelin.net. We do anticipate that Governor Lynch will sign this bill into law.
A quick overview of HB1628
- $3/watt up to a maximum payment of $6000, or 50% of system costs, whichever is less, per "facility"
- one-time payment
- 5kW and residential systems qualify
- photovoltaic, wind, microhydro, and other renewable electricity generating systems qualify
- operational on or after July 1st, 2008
- located on the owner's property
- 10% of the Renewable Energy Fund will be available for this program, to the extent that such funding is available - see below for more details
- assumed to be first come, first served, although the application process cannot start until the bill is law, and no payments can be made until the Fund is actually funded
- verification of parts and labor costs, that certified equipment meets safety standards of ANSI and UL or similar, and that local zoning and inspections are met
- On grid and off grid systems qualify
- Also amended is that the Public Utilities Commission may establish additional incentive or rebate programs for thermal and renewable energy projects.
Where does the money to fund this come from?
Last year, as part of the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) bill, a Renewable Energy Fund was created and will start being funded in January 2009. The RPS mandates that utilities need to add growing percentages of renewable energy to the mix they deliver to their customers, ultimately closing in on that 25% by 2025. When the utilities cannot buy those "green" electrons on the market, or generate them themselves, they pay an Alternate Compliance Payment (ACP). The ACP is a fair and mutually agreed upon payment that protects the program from bottomed-out prices and overly high prices. These payments will be held by the NH Treasurer in a special account, specifically for the purpose of encouraging generation of renewable energy, as defined by law.
This program could not have gained the momentum it did without the support of the NHSEA membership and Board.
Many thanks!
The NHSEA Legislative Committee
If there was ever a time to make a donation or become a member of NHSEA, it's now! Let's keep it rolling! Click Here.
Renewable Energy News from the NH Legislature
Fall 2007
NHSEA has had a busy and exciting year advocating for renewable
energy in the Concord legislature. After years of effort, New Hampshire
finally became the twenty-first state in the U.S. to adopt Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS).
Our members' strong support for the bill in their calls and emails to
legislators in response to our Action Alerts made a real difference,
showing that the public really wanted this bill passed. 
Now
that it has been signed into law by Governor Lynch (see picture to
right with NHSEA board members Carolyn Demorest and Laura Richardson),
this act requires our utilities to buy an increasing amount of their
power from renewable sources, which promises to stimulate renewable
energy industries throughout the state. Other states have found this to
be a major tool to accelerate the growth of renewables on the state
level.
A second bill, an upgrading of the Net Metering bill, will also have a big impact, particularly on the growth of solar installations. By raising the limit on the size of a net metered system from 25 kW to 100 kW, businesses will become interested in putting up systems, and we hope to see systems sprouting up in very visible public places all over the state.
All in all, we were tracking 18 bills on renewable energy, energy efficiency and green building, a very encouraging sign in itself. 8 of those bills passed, and 10 have been kept in their committee to be reconsidered in the fall and resubmitted when the session begins again in January. NHSEA board member Laura Richardson will be championing an Incentives bill that could help people, especially homeowners, to cover the up-front cost of putting up photovoltaic solar panels (PVs). The Incentives bill has been retained in the Science, Technology and Energy Committee (ST&E) of the House and will be due for a hearing in the fall.
We were excited to see that the Lempster Wind Farm was approved in (late June?), becoming New Hampshire's first big wind facility. Part of the process included a thorough analysis by the state's Site Evaluation Committee (SEC), and we were active in advocating for this first in what we hope will be a long list of wind projects, producing clean renewable energy and at the same time respecting the local environment.
We are already making plans for our major efforts for the 2008 session.
