SB 599-FN - AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE
23Apr2026... 1608h
2026 SESSION
26-2270
12/06
SENATE BILL 599-FN
AN ACT relative to the renewable energy fund.
SPONSORS: Sen. Pearl, Dist 17; Sen. Lang, Dist 2; Sen. Innis, Dist 7; Sen. Watters, Dist 4; Rep. Mooney, Hills. 12; Rep. Erf, Hills. 28
COMMITTEE: Energy and Natural Resources
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AMENDED ANALYSIS
This bill requires that remaining moneys from electricity provider compliance payments made to the renewable energy fund shall first be used by the department of energy for administrative costs, including funding for the office of energy innovation, for an amount not to exceed $1,000,000 per fiscal year. The bill also allocates for the current fiscal year an amount not to exceed $1,000,000 for renewable energy initiatives, and provides that any remaining moneys be deposited in the general fund.
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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.
Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]
Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
23Apr2026... 1608h 26-2270
12/06
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty-Six
AN ACT relative to the renewable energy fund.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 Renewable Energy Fund; Priority of Use of Funds; Administrative Costs. Amend RSA 362-F:10, I, as amended by 2025, 286:6 to read as follows:
I. There is hereby established a renewable energy fund. This nonlapsing special fund shall be continually appropriated to the department of energy to be expended in accordance with this section; provided that at the start of the [period in which there is no adopted state operating budget] budget adoption process, the department of energy [shall in a timely manner seek] seeks the timely approval of the fiscal committee of the general court to continue [using] appropriating moneys from the renewable energy fund to support renewable energy [rebate and grant] programs [in order] to ensure there are no interruptions [to the programs]. The state treasurer shall invest the moneys deposited therein as provided by law. Income received on investments made by the state treasurer shall also be credited to the fund. All payments to be made under this section shall be deposited in the fund. Any [remaining moneys] compliance payment paid into the fund under paragraph II of this section, [excluding class II moneys,] shall be first used [by the department of energy to support thermal and electrical renewable energy initiatives] for department of energy administrative costs, including funding for the office of energy innovation, for an amount not to exceed $1,000,000 per fiscal year. For the renewable energy fund collections period of July 1, 2025 until June 30, 2027, an amount not to exceed $1,000,000 annually is allocated to support renewable energy initiatives, pursuant to RSA 362-F:10, VIII. Remaining monies shall be transferred to the general fund to address budget assumptions that included these dedicated funds in the budget biennium ending June 30, 2027. Class II moneys shall primarily be used to support solar energy technologies in New Hampshire. All initiatives supported out of these funds shall be subject to audit by the department of energy as deemed necessary. All fund moneys including those from class II may be used to administer this chapter, but all new employee positions shall be approved by the fiscal committee of the general court. No new employees shall be hired by the department of energy due to the inclusion of useful thermal energy in class I production.
2 Applicability. This act shall apply to funds collected on and after July 1, 2025 until June 30, 2027.
3 Effective Date. This act shall take effect upon its passage.
26-2270
4/29/26
SB 599-FN- FISCAL NOTE
AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE (AMENDMENT # 2026-1608h)
AN ACT relative to the renewable energy fund.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The Office of Legislative Budget Assistant states this bill has no fiscal impact on state, county and local expenditures or revenue. This bill will have no fiscal impact because the state budget for FY 2026 and FY 2027 already assumed the same allocation structure. The enacted budget projected that, after administrative costs and the $1,000,000 retained annually in the Renewable Energy Fund to support thermal and electrical renewable energy initiatives, approximately $4,000,000 per year would be deposited into the General Fund. As this legislation restores the statutory language to align with what was assumed in the budget and corrects an inadvertent change made through policy legislation, there is no additional fiscal impact.
AGENCIES CONTACTED:
None