Rep. Tom Cormen

Maddy summaryHB 672 legalizes off-grid electricity providers in New Hampshire, allowing companies to operate without connecting to the state's main power grid. It directly affects off-grid energy providers and their customers, removing previous legal barriers to their services. The key provision establishes a regulatory framework for these providers to legally offer power through independent systems like solar or wind. The law took effect on August 1, 2025, after being signed by Governor Ayotte.

Maddy summaryHB 627 allows the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to directly approve new companies to provide Lifeline program services in the state, without requiring separate legislative action. This affects low-income households eligible for Lifeline, which helps cover phone and internet costs, by expanding their choices for service providers. The key provision streamlines the process: the PUC can now review and approve new providers based on established criteria, rather than needing a new bill for each addition. The bill became law on July 7, 2025, and takes effect September 5, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 210 establishes a 7-member commission to study New Hampshire's state flag. The commission includes three House members (with party balance), one Senate member, and representatives from the New Hampshire Historical Society and the New England Vexillological Association. It will review the flag's history, examine U.S. state flag design standards, and develop criteria for public submissions and a public hearing to narrow design options. The bill does not propose changing the flag but creates a structured process for potential future consideration. This is a procedural bill focused on gathering information, not implementing policy changes.

Maddy summarySB 228 revises regulations for net energy metering, affecting customer-generators, community solar projects, and municipal entities. It allows customer-generators to participate as group members in net metering arrangements, provided they are not the host. The bill mandates the authorization of at least two new low-moderate income community solar projects annually per utility and triples the aggregate capacity limit for these projects to 18 megawatts. It also refines how group hosts are compensated to ensure payments do not exceed the group's total electricity costs, and expands the definition of "political subdivision" for municipal host eligibility to include nonprofit educational institutions.

Maddy summaryHB 537 ensures that condominium associations without commercial use pay the same residential electric rates for septic systems and well pumps as individual residential units, regardless of whether the homeowners association (HOA) is billed directly by the utility. It requires utilities to split shared meter costs equally among residential units and bill all such units at residential rates - even if the HOA is the customer or shared meters are used. The bill applies to public utilities, rural electric cooperatives, municipal aggregations, and municipal electric utilities. It specifically targets non-commercial condominiums under RSA 356-B, preventing higher commercial rates for these essential residential services.