Bill Text: NH HB682 | 2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Relative to the office of offshore wind industry, the offshore and port development commission, and the office of energy innovation.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 8-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2025-01-21 - Introduced (in recess of) 01/09/2025 and referred to Science, Technology and Energy House Journal 3 [HB682 Detail]
Download: New_Hampshire-2025-HB682-Introduced.html
HB 682 - AS INTRODUCED
2025 SESSION
25-0469
06/05
HOUSE BILL 682
SPONSORS: Rep. Harrington, Straf. 18; Rep. Bernardy, Rock. 36; Rep. Notter, Hills. 12; Rep. D. Thomas, Rock. 16; Rep. Potenza, Straf. 19; Rep. Sabourin, Rock. 30; Rep. Khan, Rock. 30; Rep. McGrath, Rock. 40
COMMITTEE: Science, Technology and Energy
-----------------------------------------------------------------
ANALYSIS
This bill:
I. Removes the office of offshore wind industry development from the office of energy innovation.
II. Repeals the offshore wind industry workforce training center committee and the offshore and port development commission.
III. Moves the grid modernization advisory council and the hydrogen advisory council to the office of energy innovation.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.
Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]
Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
25-0469
06/05
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Five
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 Office of Offshore Wind Industry Development and Energy Innovation. Amend the subdivision heading preceding RSA 12-O:51 to read as follows:
Office of [Offshore Wind Industry Development and] Energy Innovation
2 Office of Energy Innovation. Amend RSA 12-P:7-b to read as follows:
12-P:7-b Office of [Offshore Wind Industry Development and] Energy Innovation Established.
I. There is established in the department of energy the office of [offshore wind industry development and] energy innovation. The office shall be under the supervision of a classified director of the office of [offshore wind industry development and] energy innovation, who shall serve under the supervision of the commissioner. The director shall provide administrative oversight and ensure that the responsibilities of the office described in this section are fulfilled.
II. The office of [offshore wind industry development and] energy innovation shall:
(a) Support the work of the New Hampshire members of the Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Task Force administered by the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM).
[(b) Support the work of the offshore wind commission established in RSA 374-F:10.
(c) Assist the offshore wind commission to develop and implement offshore wind development strategies including:
(1) Assessment of port facilities.
(2) Economic impact analyses.
(3) Supply chain analyses.
(4) Outcome and performance measurements.
(d) Collaborate with key state agencies and partners on offshore wind industry development initiatives.
(e) Coordinate offshore wind industry economic development policy, including:
(1) Development of workforce.
(2) Identification of and recruitment of offshore wind development employers.
(3) Identification and recruitment of offshore wind supply chain employers.
(4) Promotion of New Hampshire's benefits to the various components of the offshore wind industry.
(5) Provide updates and guidance to the general court with regard to policy and funding.]
[(f)](b) Advise the governor, state agencies, the public utilities commission, and the legislature on the development of clean energy resources in the Gulf of Maine and the purchase of power by New Hampshire public utilities from these resources.
[(g)](c) Fulfill the duties outlined in RSA 162-B:4.
3 Grid Modernization Advisory Group. Amend RSA 12-P:16, I to read as follows:
I. The department of energy, through the office of energy innovation, shall establish and support a grid modernization advisory group (GMAG) consisting of the following voting members:
4 Coordination of Studies and Development Activities; Position Established; Offshore Wind. Amend RSA 162-B:4, II to read as follows:
II. To assist the commissioner of the department of energy in his or her role as senior adviser to the governor with respect to the development and regulatory activities of the state government relating to the industrial and commercial uses of nuclear energy, the position of coordinator of nuclear development and regulatory activities is established in the department of energy, office of [offshore wind industry development and] energy innovation.
5 Workforce Development and Innovation Fund Established. Amend RSA 188-E:30, II to read as follows:
II. The fund may include the commissioner of education's project fund reserve under the New Hampshire state plan, and shall include state appropriations designated for the purposes of the fund, federal and other grants designated for the purposes of the fund, including proceeds designated for workforce development by the federal government from Gulf of Maine offshore wind lease auctions, as allocated to the state of New Hampshire, contributions from businesses and industries, designated for the purposes of the fund, and any other sources. [The commissioner of education is authorized to establish procedures for the use of funds and to disburse funds as recommended by the offshore wind industry workforce training center committee in RSA 12-O:51-a.]
6 Renewable Energy Fund. Amend RSA 362-F:10, I to read as follows:
I. There is hereby established a renewable energy fund. This nonlapsing special fund shall be continually appropriated to the department of energy to be expended in accordance with this section; provided that at the start of the period in which there is no adopted state operating budget, the department of energy shall in a timely manner seek the approval of the fiscal committee of the general court to continue using moneys from the renewable energy fund to support renewable energy rebate and grant programs in order to ensure there are no interruptions to the programs. The state treasurer shall invest the moneys deposited therein as provided by law. Income received on investments made by the state treasurer shall also be credited to the fund. All payments to be made under this section shall be deposited in the fund. Any remaining moneys paid into the fund under paragraph II of this section, excluding class II moneys, shall be used by the department of energy to support thermal and electrical renewable energy initiatives, [and offshore wind initiatives,] including the office of [offshore wind industry development and] energy innovation. Class II moneys shall primarily be used to support solar energy technologies in New Hampshire. All initiatives supported out of these funds shall be subject to audit by the department of energy as deemed necessary. All fund moneys including those from class II may be used to administer this chapter, but all new employee positions shall be approved by the fiscal committee of the general court. No new employees shall be hired by the department of energy due to the inclusion of useful thermal energy in class I production.
7 Purchased Power Agreement. Amend RSA 362-H:2, VI to read as follows:
VI. The public utilities commission shall ensure the provisions of RSA 485-I:5 and RSA 485-I:6, to the extent those provisions are completed[, prior to approving power purchase agreements for offshore wind energy resources from the Gulf of Maine]. The applicant shall fund the studies required in RSA 485-I:5 and RSA 485-I:6 and such expenses shall be a recoverable expense.
8 Geographic Location Description. Amend RSA 485-I:5, I to read as follows:
I. The coastal program shall develop and seek approval from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for a geographic location description (GLD), as described in 15 C.F.R. 930.53, for certain activities in federal waters[, including but not limited to the development of offshore wind energy in the Gulf of Maine,] deemed to have reasonably foreseeable effects on New Hampshire's coastal resources and/or uses.
9 Hydrogen Advisory Committee Established. Amend the introductory paragraph of RSA 362-H:3 to read as follows:
362-H:3 Hydrogen Advisory Committee Established.
There is a hydrogen advisory committee established in the department of energy, through the office of energy innovation.
10 Repeal. The following are repealed:
I. RSA 12-O:51-a, relative to the offshore wind industry workforce training center committee.
II. RSA 374-F:10, relative to the offshore wind and port development commission.
III. RSA 485-I:6, II, relative to additional studies or mitigation related to offshore wind development in the Gulf of Maine.
11 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.
