Group Net Metering
In 2013, with the enactment Senate Bill 98, New Hampshire established group net metering. This law (RSA 362-A:9, XIV) permits net-metered renewable energy facilities, known as hosts, to share the proceeds from surplus electricity generation with other electric utility account holders, known as group members. Group members do not have net metered renewable energy facilities and do not have to make any changes to their existing electric service.
The Commission developed group net metering rules (Codified in the Puc 900 rules) that initially went into effect on January 7, 2015. The Puc 900 rules were updated in 2020 to reflect changes from Commission Order No. 26,029 and legislative amendments SB321 (2018), SB367 (2018), and SB165 (2019). The rules specific to Group Net Metering begin on page 33 in PART Puc 909 GROUP NET METERING, though there may be other parts that are applicable, such as the definitions included in PART Puc 902 DEFINITIONS
Commission Order No. 26,029, issued June 23, 2017, in regard to net metering also impacts Group Net Metering in New Hampshire.
Senate Bill 321 of 2018 removed the requirement that group members and hosts must be on default energy supply. Group hosts and members of the group still must be customers of the same distribution utility, but are now able to take energy supply from a retail competitive electric power supplier. It is important to note that group hosts who take energy supply service from a retail competitive electric power supplier are not eligible for the Default Energy Service portion of the Group Host Credit. Group hosts should contact the retail competitive electric power supplier directly to understand if, and how, net metered energy supply may be compensated by the supplier.
Senate Bill 321 of 2018
In 2018 the adoption of Senate Bill 367 removed the annual report requirement for hosts with residential systems with maximum generation capacity less than 15 kilowatts(kW) AC. Customers with systems below 15kW AC are still required to register as group hosts, but no longer need to submit an Annual Group Host Report.
Senate Bill 367 of 2018
In 2019 Senate Bill 165 enabled member on-bill crediting as a method for allocating the host’s net metering credits. It also specifies a 3 cent per kwh addition from July 1, 2019 through July 1, 2021, and a 2.5 cent per kwh addition thereafter for net metering credits produced by approved Low-Moderate Income Community Solar Projects.
Senate Bill 165 of 2019
In August 2021 House Bill 315 made certain "municipal hosts" eligible for group net metering even if their renewable energy systems are greater than one megawatt in capacity, provided that the hosts generate electricity to offset the electrical requirements of a group consisting entirely of political subdivisions and meet other specified conditions. A municipal host is defined as a customer generator with a total peak generating capacity of greater than one megawatt and less than 5 megawatts used to offset the electricity requirements of a group consisting exclusively of one or more customers who are political subdivisions, provided that all customers are located within the, same utility franchise service territory. A municipal host shall be located in the same municipality as all group members if the facility began operation after January 1, 2021. A municipal host may be owned by either a public or private entity. For this definition, "political subdivision" means any city, town, county, school district, chartered public school, village district, school administrative unit, or any district or entity created for a special purpose administered or funded by any of the above-named governmental units.
House Bill 315 of 2021
Below please find application forms for group net metering as well as a copy of the final group net metering rules, Puc 902 and Puc 909.
| Please submit completed forms to: ENGY.GroupNetMetering@energy.nh.gov |
- Application Form to Register or Re-register as a Host (Puc 909.09)
- Annual Report Form for Group Hosts (Puc 909.10)
- Traditional Group Host Change Report Form
- Puc 900 Net Metering, including Group Net Metering
- Host/Member agreement checklist
- Group Net Metering Overview, On-bill Crediting, LMI Adder 2020
Please direct any questions about the group net metering forms to the Consumer Services Division 603-271-3670. For other questions regarding group net metering, please contact the Sustainable Energy Division, 603-271-3670. You can also direct questions to ENGY.GroupNetMetering@energy.nh.gov.
