repealing the authority of the public utilities commission to approve alternative forms of regulation for utilities.

HB 1736 repeals a provision (RSA 374:3-a) that allowed New Hampshire's Public Utilities Commission to approve alternative regulatory approaches for investor-owned electric and gas utilities. The bill removes the commission's authority to implement non-traditional methods, forcing these utilities to return to standard cost-of-service regulation, which sets rates based on utility costs and a fixed profit margin. This directly affects investor-owned electric and gas utility companies by limiting regulatory flexibility and requiring adherence to traditional rate-setting processes. The change takes effect 60 days after enactment, eliminating an existing option for customized utility regulation.