Title XXXIV, Public Utilities

I. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, the commission shall establish procedures for the review and approval of tariffs for electric service rates that foster economic development and of tariffs for retention of existing load within the state. For the purp…

No public utility shall grant any free service, nor charge or receive a greater or lesser or different compensation for any service rendered to any person, firm or corporation than the compensation fixed for such service by the schedules on file with the commission and in effect …

Notwithstanding the provisions of RSA 378:14, telephone companies authorized by the commission to do business in any town shall, at the customer's request, adjust the charges for tolls to such customer so that no toll charges shall be imposed for any call from any point within th…

I. Nothing herein shall prevent any public utility from granting free or reduced rate service to its officers and employees, nor any telephone or telegraph utility from granting franks for free service to the officials of other utilities engaged in the operation of telephone or t…

Statements shall be filed with the commission, in such form as the commission shall require, showing all service of any kind granted at less than the regular schedule rates.

In any case where the commission shall investigate the rates, charges or prices of any public utility in any town or city, if it shall be of the opinion that the furnishing of free or reduced rate service under the authority hereof operates unreasonably to increase the rates, cha…

I. In this section, "local calling area" means the area which may be called from a telephone calling exchange without paying toll charges or access charges. II. If the commission uses a community of interest standard to limit requests to add additional exchanges to a local callin…

I. The commission is authorized to require telephone utilities that are also providers of competitive telephone services within New Hampshire or outside of New Hampshire to provide information to the commission concerning potential separation or divestiture. The information shall…

I. In this section, "nonpublic utility provider of telephone services" includes, but is not limited to, a hotel, motel, hospital, university, or similar place of temporary accommodation. II. Every nonpublic utility provider of telephone services shall display or post on or near t…

Nothing herein shall prevent a public utility from making a contract for service at rates other than those fixed by its schedules of general application, if special circumstances exist which render such departure from the general schedules just and consistent with the public inte…

I. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, for the purposes of ratemaking, an electric utility that has adopted special contracts prior to June 3, 1996 shall not be allowed to recover from other ratepayers the difference between the regular tariffed rate and the spe…

I. In this section: (a) "Toll service" means switched telephone calls to locations outside of the local service area of the caller, as defined in the serving telephone utility's tariffs on file with the commission. (b) "Incumbent local exchange carrier" means a local exchange car…

Such contracts shall be filed and made public in such manner as the commission shall require, and shall constitute a part of the published schedules of the public utility making the same.

In the case of public utilities subject to regulation by duly constituted federal authority, the requirements relative to the filing of schedules with the commission and to the publication thereof shall conform as nearly as may be to the requirements of said federal authority.

Any public utility shall make, renew, or extend any contract for the delivery of electrical energy to a municipality, or political subdivision thereof, or to another utility upon such terms and conditions consistent with the public good as the commission shall order.

No public utility shall, directly or indirectly or by any special rate, rebate, drawback or other device or method, make any deviation from the rates, fares, charges or prices for any service rendered by it specified in its schedules on file and in effect at the time such service…

No public utility shall demand or receive less compensation for any service rendered, or to be rendered, by such public utility in consideration of the furnishing of any part of the facilities incident thereto.

Nothing herein shall prohibit any public utility from renting any facilities incident to its service and paying a reasonable rental therefor, or require any public utility to furnish any part of such appliances which are situated in and upon the premises of any consumer, except t…

All advertising contracts of public utilities shall be made at regular, established, commercial advertising rates; and such contracts shall be open to inspection by the commission and the department of energy at all times.

A copy of such list for the preceding year shall be filed with the commission and the department of energy, in such form and under such regulations as they may prescribe. Such list, together with the books, records and papers of the carrier so far as relevant, shall be open at al…

In any proceeding involving the rates of a public utility brought either upon motion of the commission or the department of energy or upon complaint, the commission may, after reasonable notice and hearing, if it be of the opinion that the public interest so requires, immediately…

So far as possible, the provisions of RSA 378:27 shall be applied by the commission in fixing and determining permanent rates, as well as temporary rates. The commission shall not include in permanent rates any return on any plant, equipment, or capital improvement which has not …

Temporary rates so fixed, determined, and prescribed under this subdivision shall be effective until the final determination of the rate proceeding, unless terminated sooner by the commission. In every proceeding in which temporary rates are fixed, determined, and prescribed unde…

Unless the commission otherwise orders, no change shall be made in any rate, fare, charge or price, which shall have been filed or published by a public utility in compliance with the requirements hereof, except after 30 days' notice to the commission and such notice to the publi…

I. In this section "fuel adjustment charge" means a charge designed to cover increases and decreases in the cost of purchased electric power for a public utility purchasing electric power and increases and decreases in the delivered cost of fuel to the generating plant site for a…

If temporary rates are prescribed under RSA 378:27 which are higher than those previously in effect, the commission may require the public utility to file a bond in such form and with such sureties, if any, as the commission may determine, to secure the repayment to the customers…

Public utility rates or charges shall not in any manner be based on the cost of construction work in progress. At no time shall any rates or charges be based upon any costs associated with construction work if said construction work is not completed. All costs of construction wor…

The commission may include the cost or value of capital improvements or programs in the rates of a utility when the capital improvement or program provides for the conservation of the energy or water provided by the utility, regardless of whether the utility's capital improvement…

The commission shall exclude any grants provided by the department of environmental services under RSA 486-A from the rates of water utilities. Utilities shall comply with the notice provisions of RSA 486-A:10 concerning such grants.

Notwithstanding the provisions of RSA 378:30-a, the commission may include the cost or value of capital improvements or programs in the rates of a utility when the capital improvement or program is directly related to technical planning of regional water supply development or is …

The commission shall exclude the cost of lobbying and political activity from the rates of public utilities. For purposes of this section, "lobbying" is any activity requiring registration pursuant to RSA 15:1 and "political activity" is any activity conducted in support of a can…

Procedure to be followed in connection with appeals shall be in accordance with RSA 541.

I. The public utilities commission may establish joint services between localities which cannot be reached either by the lines of a single utility or by the use of other lines with suitable connections. II. The public utilities commission, after a hearing upon complaint or on its…

The commission may adopt rules, pursuant to RSA 541-A, relative to the division of joint rates, fares, charges, and classifications between telephone utilities engaging in joint services whenever the divisions shall not be made by agreement. Any division agreed upon shall be subj…

Whenever joint service has been established by 2 or more public utilities, the commission shall have authority to prevent any unjust or unreasonable termination of the same or to order the reestablishment of such service if so terminated.

Whenever, after hearing and investigation, the commission shall find any joint rate, fare, charge or price demanded and collected for any existing joint service participated in by 2 or more public utilities to be unjust, unreasonable or discriminatory, it shall fix the same upon …

If the public utilities affected thereby shall fail to agree upon the division or apportionment thereof, the commission may prescribe the division of such joint rates, fares, charges and classifications between such public utilities and may revise any division agreed upon which s…

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 effectiv…

Within 5 years of July 19, 2024, pursuant to a schedule established by the department, each electric utility, as defined by RSA 362:2, shall file an integrated distribution plan, which includes the utility's planning processes, standards and methodologies, that serve as the found…

Within 5 years of July 19, 2024, pursuant to a schedule established by the department, each gas public utility, as defined by RSA 362:2, shall file an integrated gas distribution plan, which includes the utility's planning processes, standards and methodologies, that serve as the…

The commission may approve a general retroactive reduction in rates by any public utility, covering service for which payment has not been made, when no discrimination will be caused thereby.

I. The commission shall conduct an adjudicative proceeding for the purpose of reviewing an integrated distribution plan under this subdivision. For this purpose, the commission shall within 10 days of receiving such a plan, provide the public notice required for such proceedings …

The commission shall after notice and hearing accept and approve an integrated distribution plan upon a finding that the plan satisfies the requirements set forth in RSA 378:38 or RSA 378:39, as applicable.

I. An in-state electricity generator that receives notice of any external regulatory action that makes continued operation economically infeasible or may result in the involuntary retirement or decommissioning of the generator's facility shall inform the commissioner of the depar…

In this subdivision: I. "Billing aggregator" means a person, other than a service provider, who forwards a charge for a product or service offered by a service provider to the utility company for billing to the customer. II. "Commission" means the public utilities commission. III…

All billing aggregators and service providers which directly submit charges to a utility company for inclusion on the utility bill shall be registered with the commission. The commission may revoke a registration for cause. The registration of a billing aggregator may be revoked …