STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1564
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2005
RE: S.B. No. 1003
S.D. 2
H.D. 2
Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twenty-Third State Legislature
Regular Session of 2005
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce, to which was referred S.B. No. 1003, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO NET ENERGY METERING,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose of this bill is to encourage the use of renewable energy systems and move the State toward greater independence from the use of increasingly limited imported fossil fuels by:
(1) Allowing eligible customer-generators (EC-G) of not more than 300 kilowatts to participate in the net energy metering program;
(2) Allowing the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to set and increase the maximum percentage of the electric utility's peak system demand that may be produced by EC-Gs, provided that the maximum percentage shall not be less than .5 per cent of the utility's peak system demand;
(3) Authorizing the PUC to amend the applicable rate structure and standard contract or tariff;
(4) Requiring the electric utility to provide the EC-Gs with a twelve-month reconciliation of the EC-G’s consumption and production of energy; and
(5) Clarifying the policy for the actions taken on credits for excess electricity from the EC-G that remain unused after the twelve-month reconciliation.
A member of the Maui County Council, Hawaii PV Coalition, Powerlight Corporation, Hawaii Solar Energy Association, and Inter-Island Solar Supply supported this bill. The Consumer Advocate, Hawaiian Electric Company, Maui Electric Company, and Hawaii Electric Light Company supported the intent of this measure. The Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism and PUC submitted comments.
Your Committee finds that there are many benefits associated with the expansion of net energy metering, including encouraging more rapid growth of EC-Gs, thereby helping to meet the growing power needs within the State.
Your Committee further finds that the net energy metering program, which provides incentives to those who produce renewable energy fed into the power grid, needs to be further encouraged by making it easier for an EC-G to participate in the program. In addition, the incremental increases in the percentage of an electric utility's generating capacity produced by EC-Gs will provide a fair standard to follow while providing predictability to electric utilities for planning and implementation purposes.
Your Committee has amended this bill by:
(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive changes for clarity, consistency, and style.
As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1003, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1003, S.D. 2, H.D. 2.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce,
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____________________________ KENNETH HIRAKI, Chair |
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