Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
NH committee hears bill to treat power generators as manufacturers for school property-tax purposes
Summary
Lawmakers heard hours of testimony on HB 696, which would exempt electricity generators from the utility property tax and instead include their property under the statewide education property tax, changing how generators are assessed and shifting revenue flows into the Education Trust Fund starting Jan. 1, 2027.
Representative Michael Vose (R‑Epping) introduced House Bill 696, which would remove electricity generation facilities from the state'administered utility property tax (UPT) and subject them to the statewide education property tax (commonly called SWEP), beginning Jan. 1, 2027.
Proponents told the Science, Technology and Energy Committee they view independent generators as manufacturing operations that should be assessed like other commercial property. Vose said a multi-year state commission concluded "generators of electricity are in fact just manufacturers ... They are not utilities." Supporters said the change would reduce duplicate assessments and litigation between municipal assessors and the Department of Revenue Administration (DRA).
The nuts and bolts: committee testimony and a fiscal note issued in late January show a phased revenue effect. DRA and the bill's sponsors told the committee the change would reduce UPT receipts from generators by about $5.36 million in fiscal 2028 and about $12.72 million in fiscal 2029 and thereafter. Supporters noted the statewide education…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
