New Hampshire temporarily suspends solar rebate programs

The New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission (PUC) recently announced the temporary suspension of the Residential Solar and Wind Rebate program and the Commercial and Industrial (C&I) Solar Rebate program, citing budget constraints and a high volume of waitlisted applications.

The Renewable Energy Fund (REF) funds the temporarily shuttered programs, which electric companies pay into as part of an alternative compliance payment (ACP) program. Providers who can’t purchase enough renewable energy to meet state standards can fulfill portfolio requirements by paying an ACP into the REF.

New Hampshire electricity providers file ACP and reports for the previous calendar year by July 1. The PUC then validates these reports and payments and approves a final budget. The validation is usually completed in September.

“While we have an approximate idea on July 1 of the funding that may be available for all REF programs,” Karen Cramton, director of the Commission’s Sustainable Energy Division, said, “the reports and payments must be validated and a final budget approved by the commission before we know with certainty how much program funding we will have.”

Unaudited 2016 ACP revenues, which provide the funding for fiscal year 2018 rebate programs, are approximately $3.6 million.

The commission has said that it may consider changes to the programs’ terms and conditions before reopening them. The public would receive an opportunity to provide input before the PUC would make any such changes.