Businesses and housing advocates urge committee to lift 1 MW cap for industrial/commercial solar; SB106 draws broad support

At an April 14 public hearing the Science, Technology and Energy Committee heard extensive testimony in favor of Senate Bill 106, a bill that would raise the cap for renewable installations on industrial and commercial facilities from 1 megawatt to 5 megawatts and provide net‑metering stability for those facilities.

Why it matters: Supporters — including manufacturers, distributors, ski areas, regional bottlers and housing authorities — said higher caps and clearer net‑metering rules are required for large energy users to justify the capital investment. Supporters argued higher self‑generation helps keep businesses competitive, retains jobs and reduces exposure to volatile wholesale electricity prices. Opponents on the record raised reliability and cost‑shifting concerns but did not represent a majority of testimony at this hearing.

Who testified and main points

- Senator Tim Lang (prime sponsor): Framed SB106 as a competitiveness tool for manufacturing and large energy users. He said New Hampshire faces among the highest electricity-price increases in the country and that “Senate Bill 106 helps solve…