New Hampshire is one of the hardest states in America to pass energy legislation. Net metering is a political third rail. Utilities are cautious. Electricians have concerns. And yet, in 2026, the state passed SB 540 — a plug-in solar bill that brought utilities, electricians, code inspectors, and clean-energy advocates to the table and got them all to say yes.

In this episode of our Behind the Bill series, we break down exactly how they did it. We talk through the story behind the bill with Senator David Watters, who sponsored it as an access play — a practical way to extend solar to homeowners and renters who can't afford a full rooftop system. And we hear from Sam Evans-Brown of Clean Energy New Hampshire, the trusted convener who built the coalition before the first public hearing was ever held.

We cover the 1,200-watt cap and why it was the key to getting utilities on board. The surprise-billing issue that could catch early adopters off guard. The Building Code Review Board's role in keeping safety standards flexible as the technology evolves. And the lesson every other state needs to hear: you can't just copy legislation. You need someone who knows every stakeholder in the room.

Chapter Markers (Timestamps)

• 00:00 – Intro: The Toughest State in New England
• 01:30 – The Simple Version: What SB 540 Actually Does
• 03:45 – The Story: Sen. Watters and the Access Argument
• 06:30 – The Barrier: Why Utilities Treated Small Panels Like Full Generators
• 09:00 – Learning from Utah: Why You Can't Just Copy Legislation
• 11:15 – The Compromise: Coalition Building Before the Hearing
• 14:00 – The Safety Check: Building Code Review Board and UL 3700
• 16:30 – The Surprise-Billing Issue: What Eversource Customers Need to Know
• 18:45 – Batteries and the Future Grid: Why Storage Is the Real Unlock
• 21:00 – Who Benefits First: Homeowners, Renters, and the Visibility Effect
• 23:15 – What Still Needs to Happen Before This Is Real
• 25:00 – The Message to Consumers: Do Your Homework
• 26:30 – The State Lesson: "You Need a Sam Evans-Brown"
• 28:00 – The Bottom Line & Outro

Key Takeaways

• Avoid the net-metering fight. By keeping small plug-in systems completely outside the net-metering framework, New Hampshire avoided the political battles that have stalled other solar policies. Treating it as a behind-the-meter efficiency measure — not a grid-exporting generator — changed the entire conversation with utilities.
• Flexibility beats hard-coding. Instead of locking technical rules into the statute, New Hampshire empowered the Building Code Review Board to adopt standards like UL 3700 as they mature. That keeps the law durable as the technology evolves — and avoids the trap of legislation that's outdated before it's even implemented.
• Coalition building happens before the hearing. Clean Energy New Hampshire succeeded because they engaged utilities, electricians, and code officials early, took their safety concerns seriously, and worked through the language line by line. The bill passed because the fight was resolved before anyone walked into the room.

Links & Resources

• Read the full interview with Sen. David Watters and Sam Evans-Brown: Behind the Bill: New Hampshire SB 540
• Track plug-in solar legislation in your state: PluginSolarUS State Tracker
• Learn more about plug-in solar safety and UL 3700: How Plug-In Solar Works

Plug-In Solar, Explained is the simple way to understand plug-in solar, home energy, and the policies shaping America's next consumer energy movement.

Learn more at PluginSolarUS.com.