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SB591 • 2026

allowing utility companies to own or build generation facilities.

allowing utility companies to own or build generation facilities.

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Kevin Avard (R), Howard Pearl (r), Regina Birdsell (R), Timothy Lang (R), Sharon Carson (R), Jeanine Notter (R)
Last action
2026-05-29
Official status
SIGNED BY GOVERNOR
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

allowing utility companies to own or build generation facilities.

allowing utility companies to own or build generation facilities.

What This Bill Does

  • allowing utility companies to own or build generation facilities.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-05-29 S

    Signed by the Governor on 05/28/2026; Chapter 108; Effective 07/27/2026

  2. 2026-05-18 H

    Enrolled (in recess of) 05/14/2026 HJ 13

  3. 2026-05-18 S

    Enrolled Adopted, VV, (In recess 05/14/2026); SJ 13

  4. 2026-04-23 H

    Ought to Pass : MA DV 180-151 04/23/2026 HJ 11

  5. 2026-04-15 H

    Majority Committee Report: Ought to Pass 04/13/2026 (Vote 11-7; RC)

  6. 2026-04-15 H

    Minority Committee Report: Inexpedient to Legislate

  7. 2026-04-08 H

    Executive Session: 04/13/2026 09:00 am GP 229

  8. 2026-03-26 H

    Public Hearing: 04/07/2026 10:30 am GP 229

  9. 2026-03-16 H

    Introduced (in recess of) 03/12/2026 and referred to Science, Technology and Energy HJ 8 P. 114

  10. 2026-02-24 S

    Committee Amendment #2026-0779s , AA, VV; 03/05/2026; SJ 5

  11. 2026-02-24 S

    Ought to Pass with Amendment #2026-0779s , MA, VV; OT3rdg; 03/05/2026; SJ 5

  12. 2026-02-17 S

    Committee Report: Ought to Pass with Amendment #2026-0779s , 03/05/2026; Vote 5-0; CC; SC 8

  13. 2026-01-13 S

    Hearing: 01/27/2026, Room 103, SH, 09:10 am; SC 2

  14. 2025-11-25 S

    Introduced 01/07/2026 and Referred to Energy and Natural Resources; SJ 1

Official Summary Text

allowing utility companies to own or build generation facilities.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
CHAPTER 108
SB 591-FN - FINAL VERSION

03/05/2026 0779s
2026 SESSION
26-2169
06/09

SENATE BILL
591-FN

AN ACT relative to electric utility investment in distributed energy resources.

SPONSORS: Sen. Avard, Dist 12; Sen. Lang, Dist 2; Sen. Pearl, Dist 17; Sen. Carson, Dist 14; Sen. Birdsell, Dist 19; Rep. Notter, Hills. 12

COMMITTEE: Energy and Natural Resources

─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

AMENDED ANALYSIS

This bill amends certain standards governing electric utility investment in distributed energy resources.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in
bold italics.
Matter removed from current law appears [
in brackets and struckthrough.
]
Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
03/05/2026 0779s 26-2169
06/09

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty-Six

AN ACT
relative to electric utility investment in distributed energy resources.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

108:1 Electric Utility Investment in Distributed Energy Resources. Amend RSA 374-G:4, II-III to read as follows:
II. Distributed electric generation owned by or receiving investments from an electric utility under this section shall be limited to a cumulative maximum in megawatts of [
6
]
10
percent of the utility's total distribution peak load in megawatts. This limitation shall not apply to [
front-of-meter
] energy storage[
, the energy storage pilot approved by commission order number 26,209,
] or demand response.
[
III. In addition, once the cumulative generation authorized under this chapter for a given public utility reaches 3 percent of the utility's total distribution peak load in megawatts, then that utility shall not be allowed to add any additional non-renewable generation under this chapter, until the cumulative renewable generation installed pursuant to this chapter, as a percentage of total generation installed pursuant to this chapter, shall equal or exceed twice the sum of the then-applicable percentage requirements for class I and class II under RSA 362-F:3.
]

108:2 Electric Utility Investment in Distributed Energy Resources; Authorization. Amend RSA 374-G:5, II(h) to read as follows:
(h) Whether the expected value of the economic benefits
, direct and indirect,
of the investment to the utility's ratepayers over the life of the investment outweigh the economic costs to the utility's ratepayers.

108:3 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.
108:

Approved: May 28, 2026
Effective Date: July 27, 2026