Retail Suppliers Say Poll Data Shows Support for Electric Choice in New Hampshire

A group including retail suppliers has released polling data said to show support for further electric restructuring in New Hampshire.

A survey sponsored by the Retail Energy Supply Association found 55 percent of those polled would consider switching from their utility to a competitive supplier, and that more than 14 percent of those surveyed had already switched to a competitive provider. The Conservation Law Foundation, The COMPETE Coalition, ENH Power, the New England Power Generators Association, and Toxics Action Center joined with RESA in citing the survey results as supporting action by New Hampshire lawmakers, "to protect customers' right to choose and repeal laws forcing ratepayers to cover the costs for power plants in the state."

RESA said that the most recent data from the New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission shows that 47,191 customers of Public Service New Hampshire, including 30,055 residential customers, have exercised their right to purchase their electricity from a competitive supplier. This represents 9.44 percent of all PSNH delivery customers and 43.79 percent of all electricity delivered by the utility, RESA said. "But so many consumers are embracing competitive alternatives, that data is already obsolete," RESA added.

"PSNH's power plants should participate in the competitive market without guaranteed rates paid by consumers, as do the vast majority of power plants in New England,” said Jonathan Peress, Vice President and Director, Clean Energy and Climate Change, for the Conservation Law Foundation.

RESA noted the PUC recently opened an investigation into the rate impacts of maintaining utility power plant ownership in the face of increasing customer migration to competitive suppliers; however, the PUC in that proceeding explicitly said that it would not consider whether continued utility ownership of generation is appropriate (click here for details)