STAND. COM. REP. NO.  434

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2009

RE:   H.B. No. 1051

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Consumer Protection & Commerce and Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 1051 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ENERGY EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to address deficiencies in Hawaii's energy emergency preparedness by:

     (1)  Statutorily establishing the state energy emergency preparedness program's coverage of all forms of energy emergencies;

     (2)  Redefining the types of information energy companies must submit to the State for energy emergency preparedness purposes;

     (3)  Authorizing the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism (DBEDT) to compile and analyze information, including confidential information, to effectuate the State's role and responsibilities in energy emergency planning and preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery; and

     (4)  Requiring DBEDT to comply with confidentiality requirements for information obtained for energy emergency preparedness purposes.

     The Department of Defense and DBEDT testified in support of this bill.  The Hawaiian Electric Company, Inc., Maui Electric Company, Ltd., Hawaii Electric Light Company, and Western States Petroleum Association opposed this measure.  The Office of Information Practices provided comments.

     Your Committees have amended this bill by changing the effective date to January 1, 2020, to encourage further discussion.  Technical, nonsubstantive amendments were also made for clarity and style.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Consumer Protection & Commerce and Judiciary that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1051, as amended herein, and recommend that it be referred to the Committee on Finance, in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1051, H.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Consumer Protection & Commerce and Judiciary,

____________________________ JON RIKI KARAMATSU, Chair

____________________________ ROBERT N. HERKES, Chair