New Hampshire § 378-37 - Section 378:37 New Hampshire Energy Policy.

§ 378-37. Section 378:37 New Hampshire Energy Policy.

The general court declares that it shall be the energy policy of this state to meet the energy needs of the citizens and businesses of the state at the lowest reasonable cost while providing for the reliability and diversity of energy sources; to maximize the use of cost effective energy efficiency and other demand side resources; and to protect the safety and health of the citizens, the physical environment of the state, and the future supplies of resources, with consideration of the financial stability of the state's utilities. It is the policy of the sovereign state of New Hampshire and purpose of this chapter to use market and regulatory mechanisms to promote affordable, reliable, diverse, and secure energy resources for the public health, safety, and welfare of its citizens and its physical environment. I. New Hampshire shall promote the development of resources to achieve the purpose of this chapter, fostering a range of technology types, including reliable, on-demand, diverse, and firm energy resources, and distributed energy sources and storage capacities consistent with these goals, while allowing for customer choice. II. New Hampshire shall promote the development of resources, tools, and infrastructure to enhance the state's ability to ensure the state's energy independence by removing regulatory barriers to innovation to ensure that the state can procure affordable, reliable, diverse, and secure energy resources, including energy generation combined with storage, and consistent with RSA 362-F. III. New Hampshire shall allow market forces and market-based mechanisms to drive prudent use of energy resources. Government intervention to economically advantage one technology over another shall be time-limited, narrow, or necessary to achieve a specific policy goal. IV. New Hampshire shall pursue energy conservation and efficiency according to market principles in order to address market barriers, as regulated by policies for the public good and public health, and focus on market transformation in accordance with cost-effective fiscal strategies as authorized by the legislature, and consistent with RSA 374-F. V. New Hampshire shall maintain an environment that allows for accurate market signals while balancing affordable consumer prices, price stability, energy reliability, public health and safety, and the financial stability of utilities and energy suppliers. VI. State regulatory processes shall balance economic costs with the level of review necessary to ensure protection of the state's various interests, and where federal action is required, New Hampshire will collaborate to encourage expedited federal review and action.