Title XXXIV, Public Utilities

I. The commission shall adopt rules, pursuant to RSA 541-A, relative to: (a) The conduct of its hearings, including alternative processes in hearings and other forms of alternative dispute resolution. (b) Standards and procedures for streamlined review or other alternative proces…

In any such investigation or hearing, the commission shall not be bound by the technical rules of evidence.

Terms used in this chapter shall be construed as follows unless a different meaning is clearly apparent from the language or context: I. "Person" shall mean and include individuals, corporations, trustees, lessees, holders of beneficial equitable title, voluntary associations, re…

The provisions of this chapter shall not apply to any excepted local exchange carrier.

From any order or decision of the commission in the exercise of the jurisdiction and power conferred upon it by this chapter, an appeal shall lie to the supreme court. The procedure for rehearings and appeals shall be that prescribed by RSA 541.

No public utility shall, without the approval of the department of energy, permit any employee to sell, offer for sale, or solicit the purchase of any security issued by an affiliate during such hours as such employee is engaged to perform any duty of such public utility; nor sha…

The original or a verified copy of any contract or arrangement and of any modification thereof or a verified summary of any unwritten contract or arrangement, the consideration of which exceeds $500, hereafter entered into between a public utility and an affiliate providing for t…

Any contract or arrangement not filed with the department of energy pursuant to RSA 366:3 shall be unenforceable in any court in this state and payments thereunder may be disallowed by the department unless the later filing thereof is approved in writing by the department. The co…

The department of energy shall have full power and authority to investigate any such contract, arrangement, purchase, or sale and initiate a proceeding related thereto before the commission. If the commission after notice and hearing shall find any such contract, arrangement, pur…

If as a result of an investigation or proceeding in accordance with RSA 366:5 the commission shall find that any public utility is making any payment or about to make any payment or doing or about to do any other thing which substantially threatens or impairs the ability of the p…

In any proceeding whether upon the department's initiation or commission's own motion or upon complaint involving the rates or practices of any public utility, the commission may disallow the inclusion in the accounts of a public utility of any payments or compensation to an affi…

Every public utility annually reporting to the commission or department of energy under RSA 374 shall also annually report the name and address of, and the number of shares held by, its officers and directors and each holder of one percent or more of the voting capital stock of t…

The commission or department of energy may also require such other information as to the direct or indirect control of a public utility or affiliate from a public utility, affiliate, or other person as may be reasonably required for the effective enforcement of this chapter.

The general court finds that: I. The restructuring of electric utilities to allow retail electric competition and less costly regulation is in the public interest. New Hampshire is implementing such restructuring to create retail customer choice, which will provide retail electri…

The general court finds that: I. Restructuring of electric utilities to provide greater competition and more efficient regulation has been found by the general court to be in the public good and New Hampshire is now aggressively pursuing restructuring and increased customer choic…

A public utility lawfully engaged in business in this state may, with the approval of the commission but not otherwise, issue and sell its stock, bonds, notes and other evidences of indebtedness payable more than 12 months after the date thereof for lawful corporate purposes. The…

The provisions of this chapter shall not apply to any excepted local exchange carrier.

No unincorporated person or partnership, being a public utility through the ownership, operation or management of property devoted to public use, shall be required to apply to the commission for authority to issue notes or bonds unless the same are to be secured by mortgage of th…

No public utility shall apply the proceeds of any stock, bonds or notes to any other purpose than those specified in the order of the commission authorizing the issue of the same.

Every public utility issuing stocks, bonds or other evidence of indebtedness subject to the provisions hereof shall file with the commission an account showing, in such detail as the commission shall require, the disposition of the proceeds of such issue.

Any foreign corporation which shall engage in intrastate business as a public utility within this state after May 1, 1919, shall be subject to the provisions hereof, and, by applying for authority to begin or by continuing to engage in such intrastate business after said date, sh…

A public utility for any corporate purpose approved by the commission, upon petition of the corporation, may, from time to time, with the authority of the commission as provided in this chapter, increase its capital stock or bonds beyond the amounts fixed and limited by its artic…

Whenever a public utility organized under the laws of this state shall issue (1) additional shares of its capital stock having unconditionally the general right to vote or (2) securities convertible into shares of such capital stock, it shall, except as hereinafter provided, firs…

Whenever a public utility incorporated under the laws of this state shall apply to the commission for authority to issue any stock requiring the approval of the commission, the stockholders shall not become individually liable for debts and contracts of the corporation under RSA …

In this chapter: I. "April 19 order" means commission Order No. 23,443 in Docket DE 99-099 as it was issued on April 19, 2000, excluding any subsequent amendments. II. "Commission" means the public utilities commission established in RSA 363, as it may be constituted from time to…

A public utility may, with the approval of the commission but not otherwise, mortgage its present and future property, tangible and intangible including franchises, to secure the payment of its bonds or notes, including any bonds or notes to be thereafter issued under the provisi…

I. The commission is authorized, upon the petition of an electric utility and after a hearing, to issue one or more finance orders pursuant to which rate reduction bonds shall be issued, if the commission finds that the issuance of such finance order or finance orders is in the p…

Any such public utility which may apply to the commission for authority to issue such securities shall file with its application a statement in reasonable detail, showing the actual cost already incurred and the estimated cost to be incurred for any of the purposes for which such…

I. The general court finds that divestiture of PSNH's generation plants and securitization of any resulting stranded costs pursuant to RSA 369-B:3, IV(c) is in the public interest, subject to the provisions of paragraph III. II. As part of an expedited proceeding, the commission …

In the event of divestiture or retirement of any or all of PSNH's generation assets, employee protections no less than those set forth in the then-current collective bargaining agreement shall be provided to affected employees.

An electric utility may submit to the commission an application for a finance order with respect to incurred storm costs. Storm costs shall be paid off with the proceeds of rate reduction bonds if the commission determines that the issuance of such rate reduction bonds is in the …

I. A finance order shall establish and place into effect one or more RRB charges that the commission shall determine to be just and reasonable, including any provisions for subsequent adjustments thereto, that shall provide for the collection of revenues from retail customers of …

The commission, after such hearing or investigation as it may deem proper, shall determine the actual or probable cost incurred or to be incurred; and, if in its judgment the issue of such securities upon the terms proposed is consistent with the public good, it shall authorize t…

I. An electric utility or financing entity may, from time to time, after approval by the commission in a finance order or orders, issue rate reduction bonds. The power and authority of such electric utility or financing entity to issue such bonds authorized by a finance order pur…

I. The RRB charge shall constitute RRB property when, and to the extent that, a finance order authorizing such RRB charge has become effective in accordance with this chapter, and the RRB property shall thereafter continuously exist as a current and irrevocable vested property ri…

Upon any application for authority to issue securities for the purpose of providing funds for discharging any indebtedness incurred by a public utility in good faith prior to July 1, 1914, in acquiring property, or for other lawful corporate purpose, no deduction shall be made fr…

I. To the extent the provisions of this section conflict with Article 9 of RSA 382-A, this section shall apply. II. A security interest in RRB property is valid, is enforceable against the pledgor and third parties, subject to the rights of any third parties holding security inte…

I. No public utility engaged in business within this state shall issue or renew any notes, bonds, or other evidences of indebtedness payable less than 12 months after the date thereof, except as provided in this section, by rules adopted by the commission, or by specific order of…

Any successor to an electric utility, whether pursuant to any bankruptcy, reorganization, or other insolvency proceeding, or pursuant to any merger, sale, or transfer, by operation of law, or otherwise, shall perform and satisfy all obligations of the electric utility with respec…

I. Public utilities carrying on business both within and without this state shall not be subject to the provisions of RSA 369:1-7 when the stock or obligations are to be issued for the acquisition of property, the construction, completion, extension or improvement of their facili…

The commission shall have no power to authorize the capitalization, directly or indirectly, of any franchise to be a corporation, or of any franchise or any right to own, operate or enjoy any franchise whatever in excess of the amount (exclusive of any tax or annual charge) actua…

If any provision of this chapter, or the application thereof to any person or circumstance, is held invalid, such invalidity shall not affect other provisions or applications of this chapter, and to that end, the provisions of this chapter are declared to be severable. Each secti…

The department of energy may ascertain, determine and fix, for each kind of public utility, suitable and convenient standard commercial units of service, product or commodity, which units shall be lawful units for the purposes of this chapter.

In this chapter: I. "Governmental agency" means any state, county, city, town, village, district, organized fire mutual aid system dispatch or municipal agency, authority, department or other public instrumentality thereof. II. "Self-dialing telephone alarm" means a device attach…

The provisions of this chapter shall not apply to any excepted local exchange carrier.