STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1096-10

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2010

RE:   S.B. No. 2488

      S.D. 2

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2010

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce, to which was referred S.B. No. 2488, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to help provide sustainability for the net energy metering system by, among other things:

     (1)  Prohibiting an electric utility from unreasonably denying, burdening, or delaying net energy metering service that is requested by an eligible customer-generator;

     (2)  Permitting the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to specify separate generating capacity requirements or limits for each specified individual generation technology;

     (3)  Requiring the PUC to ensure the impacts of net energy metering on rates are reasonable;

     (4)  Providing factors the PUC is required to consider in determining generating capacity requirements or limits; and

     (5)  Permitting existing net-metered customers to maintain their existing contracts with PUC even after alternative mechanisms for crediting or compensating eligible customer generators for expanded power are established.

     PUC, Hawaii Solar Energy Association, Blue Planet Foundation, Hawaii Renewable Energy Alliance testified in support of this bill.  Hawaiian Electric Company, Maui Electric Company, and Hawaiian Electric Light Company supported the intent of this measure.  SunPower Systems Corporation provided comments.

     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. 2488, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce,

____________________________

ROBERT N. HERKES, Chair