Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Energy Storage Reliability topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Senate hears bill to form energy reliability and large‑scale storage task force and to use renewable energy fund for consultants
Summary
Senate Bill 233 would create an energy reliability and large‑scale storage task force to study long‑duration storage, interconnection, market incentives and pilot designs. Sponsors and industry witnesses urged a timely study; the bill designates $250,000 from the state renewable energy fund for consulting support.
Sen. David Waters, District 4, introduced Senate Bill 233 to establish an energy reliability and large‑scale storage task force, saying New Hampshire faces “reliability shortages” as demand grows and dispatchable generation retires.
“We are starting to see the emergence of long duration storage technology,” Waters said, describing lithium‑ion batteries that typically provide two to four hours of storage, iron‑air systems that can reach about 10 hours, and new flow battery technologies that aim for multi‑day capability. The bill creates a new RSA chapter for storage, defines multiple duration classes and tasks a mixed public‑private panel to report back by December 1, 2025, under the current text.
Waters noted the bill appropriates $250,000 for consultants, and recommended the renewable energy fund as the source: “It’s hard to argue against this being a purpose that accords what the renewable energy fund is there for,” he said.
Industry witnesses emphasized urgency. James Andrews, chief executive officer of Granite Shore Power, said regionally the market is shifting toward greater winter peaks, natural‑gas constraints and higher electricity costs. “We are deficient in quick start dispatchable and storage resources,” Andrews said, urging proactive work to identify solutions before a reliability crisis.
Department of Energy legislative liaison Megan Stone said the department is neutral on SB 233 and would serve on the task force if the committee moves forward. Stone warned the committee that New Hampshire procurement could delay hiring a consultant for months; she recommended extending the report deadline if the committee wants meaningful external support. “Given the lengthy New Hampshire procurement and contracting process, it could take up to 6 months to get that consultant on board,” she said.
Other witnesses urged a mix of near‑term and longer‑term deliverables, including an interim report in December 2025 and a final analysis in mid‑2026. Witnesses also asked the task force to evaluate market mechanisms such as indexing storage credits and to examine interconnection constraints.
The hearing closed with no committee vote recorded; sponsors and industry representatives asked the committee to consider timing so the task force can produce actionable recommendations.
