Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Energy and Environment, to which was referred H.B. No. 2048, H.D. 1, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to amend the definition of an "eligible customer-generator" to include government entities and to increase the capacity of eligible customer-generators from ten kilowatts to fifty kilowatts for net-energy metering purposes.

Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Public Utilities Commission, a Maui County Council member, Office of the Managing Director for the City and County of Honolulu, Hawaii PV Coalition, Hawaii Renewable Energy Alliance, Hawaii Solar Energy Association, Powerlight, and the Hawaii Chapter of the Sierra Club. Testimony in opposition of this measure was submitted by the Strategic Planning for Kauai Island Utility Cooperative. Comments were submitted by Hawaiian Electric Company.

Your Committee finds that including government entities as eligible customer-generators and increasing the maximum capacity from ten to fifty kilowatts is necessary, and your Committee believes that this measure addresses those needs.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Energy and Environment that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2048, H.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection and Housing.