The commission shall review integrated least-cost resource plans in order to evaluate the consistency of each utility’s plan with this subdivision, in an adjudicative proceeding. In deciding whether or not to approve the utility’s plan, the commission shall consider potential environmental, economic, and health-related impacts of each proposed option. The commission is encouraged to consult with appropriate state and federal agencies, alternative and renewable fuel industries, and other organizations in evaluating such impacts. The commission’s approval of a utility’s plan shall not be deemed a pre-approval of any actions taken or proposed by the utility in implementing the plan. Where the commission determines the options have equivalent financial costs, equivalent reliability, and equivalent environmental, economic, and health-related impacts, the following order of energy policy priorities shall guide the commission’s evaluation:
I. Energy efficiency and other demand-side management resources;
II. Renewable energy sources, including renewable natural gas as defined in RSA 362-I;
III. All other energy sources.
Source. 1990, 226:1. 1994, 362:5, eff. June 8, 1994. 2014, 129:1, eff. Aug. 15, 2014. 2022, 279:3, eff. June 24, 2022.