NH C&I solar rebate program reopened

New Hampshire utility regulators have issued an order modifying and reopening the state's existing solar rebate program for commercial and industrial electric customers. The New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission's Order No. 26,336 creates new opportunities for nonresidential solar energy projects in New Hampshire.

By statute, the New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission is authorized to establish incentive or rebate programs and competitive grant opportunities for renewable energy projects sited in New Hampshire. In 2010, the Commission first approved a commercial and industrial (C&I) solar rebate program, which provides incentive funds to C&I electric customers for solar photovoltaic and solar thermal energy projects.

Since 2010, at various times the Commission has modified, closed, and reopened the C&I rebate program due to "high demand for the program and funding constraints." Most recently, in 2019, Commission staff filed a memorandum stating that it had received applications in excess of available funds, prompting the Commission to close the C&I program to new applicants. Following stakeholder discussions, Commission staff filed proposed modifications to the program, including to reduce the incentive amount to $0.20 per watt, with an overall maximum of $10,000 per project, to allow more projects to share in the progam's funding pool. Commission staff also proposed program changes, including measures designed to facilitate efficient application processing, effectively manage the application queue, and restrict applications to "shovel-ready" projects; to ensure that funding is directed toward projects that need incentives; and to simplify the application process and reduce administrative burdens on applicants.

Through the New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission's Order No. 26,336, the Commission generally approved and adopted its staff's proposed modifications to the program, and directed staff to conduct a public lottery to allocate initial queue positions for applications, to be held on April 21, 2020. The Commission noted that as it has previously found, "a lottery is an orderly and equitable method of administering applications for a limited amount of funds" -- and also that if the application and lottery process results in a significant number of waitlisted applications, the Commission "may have to once again close the program to new applications."