STAND. COM. REP. NO.  109-08

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2008

RE:   H.B. No. 3079

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection, to which was referred H.B. No. 3079 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ENERGY EFFICIENCY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to clarify the administration and use of moneys supporting energy-efficiency and demand-side management programs and services.  Among other things, this bill clarifies that moneys collected by the public utilities through demand-side management surcharges will not be transferred to the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) and be subject to legislative appropriations.  Instead, the moneys, to be known as public benefit fees, will be transferred to a third-party administrator and expended on various energy-efficiency and demand-side management programs and services.

     This bill also authorizes the State to participate in any energy-efficiency and demand-side management programs and services offered by the third-party administrator.

     The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs' Division of Consumer Advocacy, PUC, Hawaiian Electric Company, Inc., Maui Electric Company, Ltd., Hawaii Electric Light Company, and Hawaii Solar Energy Association testified in support of this bill.  The Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism supported the intent of this measure.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 3079 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection,

____________________________

HERMINA MORITA, Chair