Bill > HB690

This bill directs the New Hampshire Department of Energy to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the state's potential withdrawal from ISO-New England (ISO-NE), a regional transmission organization that manages the electric grid for six New England states. The investigation will explore multiple aspects of such a potential withdrawal, including the current rights and obligations of ISO-NE, the feasibility and consequences of New Hampshire operating independently, and the potential impacts on electricity reliability and ratepayer costs. Specifically, the bill requires the department to examine questions about alternative regulatory structures, legal impediments to withdrawal, the state's operational capabilities without ISO-NE, the governance of ISO-NE, and how a regional wholesale electricity market can balance different state policy goals. The department must provide a detailed report to the state's senate and house energy policy committees within one year of the bill's passage, with the investigation funded through a special utility assessment. While the investigation could cost over $200,000 and will likely require hiring a consultant due to the complexity of the subject matter, the bill aims to ensure that New Hampshire's electricity market serves the state's ratepayers effectively and efficiently.

Agriculture and Natural Resources, Business and Industry

https://gc.nh.gov/bill_status/legacy/bs2016/bill_status.aspx?lsr=0508&sy=2025&sortoption=&txtsessionyear=2025&txtbillnumber=HB690