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House adopts committee report on net metering expansion after heated debate
Summary
Members debated Senate Bill 228, aimed at expanding community net-metering and raising caps for low- and moderate-income community solar. The House adopted the committee report after a roll call; proponents emphasized benefits for low-income residents and institutions, opponents warned of rate increases citing Maine and utility estimates.
The New Hampshire House of Representatives adopted the majority committee report on Senate Bill 228, a measure altering net-metering rules for customer generators, expanding community solar capacity for low- and moderate-income projects and widening the definition of municipal hosts.
Representative Thomas Corman spoke against the committee report, summarizing the bill's provisions and arguing the expansion could raise costs for nonparticipating ratepayers. "There are 4 major components to this bill," he said, explaining the bill would allow customer generators to join net metering groups, allow customers to be offtakers in multiple groups, increase community solar capacity for low/moderate-income projects from 6 megawatts to 18 megawatts per year, and permit municipal hosts including nonprofit educational institutions and public housing authorities to net meter up to 5 megawatts.
Representative Michael Vos, speaking for the majority report, apologized for a factual error in the report and said the committee opposed the bill because it "expands net metering." He cited a recent Maine report and Eversource figures, claiming expansion had driven significant cost increases for ratepayers.
Supporters warned the bill would lower costs for low- and moderate-income residents and institutions such as state universities. Representative Swanson asked members whether they wanted to reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels and suggested the bill would expand net metering to more communities, including schools.
The House voted on the committee report in a roll call; the clerk announced "190 in the affirmative, 151 in the negative" and the committee report was adopted.
What happened next: the committee report was adopted and the bill remains in the legislative process for further floor action or committee referral as appropriate.
