HB 1385 – AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE
25Mar2014… 0864h
2014 SESSION
06/03
HOUSE BILL 1385
AN ACT relative to changes and additions to energy facilities.
SPONSORS: Rep. Townsend, Graf 11; Rep. Rappaport, Coos 1; Rep. M. Hammon, Coos 5
COMMITTEE: Science, Technology and Energy
This bill defines “sizeable changes or additions” as they pertain to energy facilities.
This bill also prohibits the public utilities commission from including the costs of certain sizeable changes or additions in the base rate of a public utility.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
25Mar2014… 0864h
14-2329
06/03
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Fourteen
AN ACT relative to changes and additions to energy facilities.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 New Paragraph; Definition; Sizeable Changes or Additions. Amend RSA 162-H:2 by inserting after paragraph XII the following new paragraph:
XIII. “Sizeable changes or additions” includes, but is not limited to, changes or additions to an energy facility involving construction expenses greater than 20 percent of the assessed value of the current facility.
2 Additions and Improvements. Amend RSA 374:5 to read as follows:
374:5 Additions and Improvements. For the purpose of enabling the commission to perform its duty to keep informed as provided in RSA 374:4, every public utility, before making any addition, extension, or capital improvement to its fixed property in this state, except under emergency conditions, shall report to the commission the probable cost of such addition, extension, or capital improvement whenever the probable cost thereof exceeds a reasonable amount to be prescribed by general or special order of the commission. For this purpose, the commission may classify public utilities according to the amount of their respective fixed capital accounts, and prescribe a reasonable limitation for each such classification. In no case shall the minimum amount prescribed be less than 1/4 of one percent of such fixed capital account as of December 31 of the preceding year, or [$10,000] $100,000, whichever is the smaller amount. Reports shall be filed in writing with the commission within such reasonable time as may be prescribed by the commission before starting actual construction on any addition, extension, or improvement. The commission shall have discretion to exclude the cost of any such addition, extension, or capital improvement from the rate base of said utility where such written report thereof shall not have been filed in advance as herein provided. If the actual cost exceeds a reported probable cost of more than $1,000,000, the commission shall not include in the base rate of such utility excess costs of 120 percent or more without substantial evidence of unforeseeable factors.
3 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.