New Hampshire’s renewable portfolio standard (RPS), established in May 2007, requires the state’s electricity providers — with the exception of municipal utilities — to acquire by 2025 renewable energy certificates (RECs) equivalent to 25.2% of retail electricity sold to end-use customers. The RPS includes four distinct standards for different types of energy resources; these are classified as Class I, Class II, Class III, and Class IV.
Class I – New Renewable Energy. This class addresses electricity or “useful thermal energy” generated by any of the following resources, provided the generator began operation after January 1, 2006, except as noted below:
- Wind energy;
- Hydrogen derived from biomass fuels or landfill gas;
- Ocean thermal, wave, current, or tidal energy;
- Methane gas;
- Geothermal systems that began producing thermal energy after January 1, 2013;
- Solar-thermal systems that began producing thermal energy after January 1, 2013;
- Eligible biomass fuels (including the biomass share of certain generators co-fired with fossil fuels);
- Eligible biomass generators that meet emissions criteria and began producing thermal energy after January 1, 2013;
- Solar-electric energy not used to meet Class II;
- The incremental new production of electricity in any year from an eligible biomass, eligible methane source, or hydroelectric generating facility of any capacity, over its historical generation baseline;
- The production of electricity from Class III or IV sources that have been upgraded or re-powered through significant investment;
- “Useful thermal energy,” defined as renewable energy delivered from Class I sources that can be metered and for which fuel or electricity would otherwise be consumed; and
- Biodiesel, up to 1/8th of a provider’s non-thermal Class I requirements per year.
Class II – New Solar. This class addresses electricity generated by solar technologies, provided the generator began operation after January 1, 2006.
Class III – Existing Biomass/Methane. This class addresses electricity generated by eligible biomass systems up to 25 megawatts (MW), and methane gas, provided the generator began operation before January 1, 2006. Beginning in 2017, methane gas sources which began operation prior to 2006 and exceed a gross nameplate capacity of 10 MW at any single landfill site will not be eligible.
Class IV – Existing Small Hydroelectric. This class addresses electricity generated by hydro facilities up to 5 MW, provided the generator began operation before January 1, 2006, and complies with certain environmental protection criteria; and hydroelectric facilities up to 1 MW that comply with FERC fish-passage requirements and are interconnected to the distribution grid in New Hampshire.
Tracking Registry: NEPOOL-GIS