Science, Technology and Energy Committee adopts four measures, tables one; votes recorded

The Science, Technology and Energy Committee voted on four senate bills during an April 14 committee meeting, adopting amendments and recommending passage on several measures while recommending “inexpedient to legislate” for another.

The committee adopted an amendment and voted “ought to pass as amended” for Senate Bill 65 (stormwater management for solar arrays), voted ITL (inexpedient to legislate) on Senate Bill 230 (electric utility restructuring/advanced nuclear investment language), approved Senate Bill 233 as amended (adds reliability/storage work into the grid modernization advisory group), and adopted Senate Bill 108 as amended (technical changes to Department of Energy-related language). The committee recessed an executive session on Senate Bill 232 for further amendment work.

Why it matters: The votes move several energy and grid-related matters forward toward the House calendar and the consent calendar — including cleanup language and a retooled approach to a new storage/reliability study — while rejecting language the committee judged unnecessary or risky for ratepayers.

What the committee did

- Senate Bill 65 (stormwater rules for solar arrays): Representative McGee offered amendment 1594H to clarify that projects located within shoreland areas (pursuant to RSA 483‑B) would not be eligible for the abbreviated “permit by notification” and instead would proceed through the standard alteration-of-terrain permit review process. The committee adopted the amendment and then voted “ought to pass as amended.” The roll call recorded 18 yes, 0 no.

- Senate Bill 230 (electric utility restructuring / advanced nuclear wording): The committee recommended ITL on SB 230 by voice and roll call after members concluded that earlier statutory and bill language (notably changes enacted elsewhere in House Bill 710) made the sections redundant or risky for ratepayers. Motion carried, 18–0.

- Senate Bill 233 (energy reliability and large-scale storage task force): Instead of creating a new legislative task force the committee adopted amendment 1592H to assign the work to the existing Grid Modernization Advisory Group and voted “ought to pass as amended,” 18–0.

- Senate Bill 108 (Department of Energy): The committee adopted amendment 1585H that removes a contested Section 2 (a provision the PUC had objected to) and then voted “ought to pass as amended,” 18–0.

What remains pending

- Senate Bill 232 (net metering clarifications / small hydro and ISO participation): Committee members discussed substitute language and market‑revenue transfer concepts. The committee recessed the executive session to allow the Office of Legislative Services to merge competing amendment text; the item was set to resume at a later date.

A note on procedure and next steps: Several of the bills advanced without recorded objections and were slated for the consent calendar; committee members asked bill sponsors to file committee reports by the deadlines the chair specified. The committee also scheduled further drafting and OLS work for SB 232 before final action.