Should New Hampshire Leave the Regional Power Grid? What the New Report Found

What happened

In February 2026, New Hampshire's Executive Council approved $230,000 to study whether the state could separate from ISO New England — the nonprofit organization that operates the regional electric grid across all six New England states. London Economics International, hired by the New Hampshire Department of Energy, delivered its report around July 15, 2026. The conclusion: a path to electrical independence exists, but it would likely raise costs for New Hampshire ratepayers rather than lower them.

Why this idea came up in the first place

New Hampshire already pays some of the highest electric rates in the country — about 25¢/kWh as of July 2026, roughly 24% above the national average — despite having no state income or sales tax. Part of the frustration behind the independence study is that New Hampshire, as a relatively small piece of a six-state regional grid, has limited influence over decisions that affect its rates, including the regional capacity and transmission costs that get passed through to Eversource NH and Liberty Utilities customers.

The timing matters too: this July, ISO New England issued a precautionary alert for the whole region due to hot, humid weather and thin reserve margins — a reminder that shared regional infrastructure comes with shared regional risk on the hottest days.

A separate but related story: New Hampshire's off-grid energy law

New Hampshire has also been experimenting with the opposite idea at a smaller scale. H.B. 672, the state's new off-grid energy law, allows energy providers to generate and sell electricity without standard regulatory oversight — as long as they aren't connected to the public grid. Supporters frame it as expanding consumer choice; critics note it could raise costs for the ratepayers who remain on the public grid, since infrastructure costs get spread across a smaller base.

What this means for your bill either way

Whether or not New Hampshire ever leaves ISO New England, the report's core finding — that regional grid costs are a real and growing part of your bill — isn't going away soon. The most direct way to reduce your own exposure to whatever the state and regional grid decide next is generating some of your own power. New Hampshire's SB 540 now allows a permit-free plug-in solar system up to 1200W, no utility approval required.

The law is already in effect, so a system installed today starts offsetting your bill right away.

Bottom line

The report New Hampshire commissioned to explore cutting ties with the regional grid found the opposite of what many ratepayers probably hoped: independence would likely cost more, not less. Regional grid costs — and the rate pressure that comes with them — appear to be a fixture of New Hampshire electric bills for the foreseeable future.