STAND. COM. REP. NO.3123
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2002
RE: S.C.R. No. 98
S.D. 1
Honorable Robert Bunda
President of the Senate
Twenty-First State Legislature
Regular Session of 2002
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committee on Water, Land, Energy and Environment, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 98 entitled:
"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION TO OPEN A NEW DOCKET CONCERNING STANDBY CHARGES APPLICABLE TO NON-UTILITY DISTRIBUTED ENERGY RESOURCES AND CUSTOMER RETENTION DISCOUNTS OFFERED BY PUBLIC UTILITIES,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose of this measure is to request the Public Utilities Commission to open a new docket to examine and revise as appropriate:
(1) Any public utility rule, standard, rate, and guideline that establishes a standby charge applicable to a non-utility distributed energy resource; and
(2) Any customer retention discounts offered by a public utility.
Testimony in support of this measure was received from the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, Consumer Advocate, Hawaii Renewable Energy Alliance, Hess Microgen LLC, Life of the Land, and one individual. The Public Utilities Commission (PUC) testified in opposition. Hawaiian Electric Company, Inc., Kauai Electric, The Gas Company, Verizon Hawaii, and one individual submitted comments.
Your Committee finds that this measure would help in resolving the complicated issues that effect the establishment of standby charges and customer retention discounts.
Your Committee has amended this measure to:
(1) Add a request that the PUC consider equitable ratemaking design and policies for standby charges and customer retention discounts that provide for fair cost allocation among customers; allow the utility adequate cost recovery while minimizing costs to customers; facilitate customer distributed energy resources deployment; and send proper price signals to prospective purchasers of distributed energy resources; and
(2) Include the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to the list of parties in the docket and to the list of those receiving a certified copy of this measure.
As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water, Land, Energy and Environment that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 98, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection and Housing, in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 98, S.D. 1.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water, Land, Energy and Environment,
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____________________________ LORRAINE R. INOUYE, Chair |
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