STAND. COM. REP. NO. 818
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2005
RE: H.B. No. 1018
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 H.B. No. 1018, 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 allow a wider range of customers to participate in the net energy metering program, and to give customer-generators a better opportunity to size their systems by:
(1) Increasing the size of eligible customer-generators that may participate in the program, from a capacity of not more than 50 kilowatts, to a capacity of not more than 500 kilowatts;
(2) Extending the billing period for net energy metering from monthly to annually; and
(3) Providing that the electric utility, upon the request of an eligible customer-generator, shall permit that customer to pay monthly for the net energy consumed.
Testimony in support of this bill was received from the Hawaii Renewable Energy Alliance, Powerlight Solar Electric Systems, Inter-Island Solar Supply, Island Energy Solutions Inc., Hawaii PV Coalition, Hawaii Solar Energy Association, Sierra Club, Hawaii Chapter, and a member of the Maui County Council. The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs opposed the bill. The Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism testified in support of the intent of this measure. The Public Utilities Commission, Hawaiian Electric Company, Inc., Maui Electric Company, and Hawaii Electric Light Company, offered comments.
Your Committee finds that increasing eligible customer-generator capacity from 50 kilowatts to 500 kilowatts will allow additional customer-generators such as small businesses, multi-family units, and farms and other agricultural enterprises, to participate in the net energy metering program. Your Committee further finds that changing the billing period from monthly to every twelve months will allow customer-generators to size their net-metered systems in accordance with monthly fluctuations in output that are characteristic of some renewable resource systems, and that make a customer-generator a net consumer in some months, and a net producer in others.
However, since the capacity amount for eligible customer-generators was recently increased from 10 kilowatts to 50 kilowatts, your Committee finds that an increase to 500 kilowatts may be premature. Therefore, your Committee has amended this bill by:
(1) Increasing the maximum capacity of an eligible customer-generator to 300, as opposed to 500 kilowatts;
(2) Including an effective date of July 1, 2099, to encourage further discussion of the bill; and
(3) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments 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 H.B. No. 1018, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1018, 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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