STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1690-08

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2008

RE:   S.B. No. 988

      S.D. 2

      H.D. 3

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred S.B. No. 988, S.D. 2, H.D. 2, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to encourage the use of renewable energy by authorizing the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to establish a ratepayer-funded photovoltaic rebate program (rebate program) upon evaluating the costs and benefits of a rebate program and determining that a rebate program is in the public interest.

     PUC, Hawaii Renewable Energy Alliance, Sierra Club Hawaii Chapter, Hawaii Solar Energy Association, Hawaiian Electric Company, Hawaii Electric Light Company, Maui Electric Company, Island Pacific Energy, LLC, Suntech Hawaii, and ProVision Technologies, Inc., supported this bill.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Clarifying that rules to implement the rebate program be adopted pursuant to the provisions of the Administrative Procedures law; and

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for style, clarity, and consistency.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 988, S.D. 2, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 988, S.D. 2, H.D. 3.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Finance,

____________________________

MARCUS R. OSHIRO, Chair