STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1579

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2011

RE:   S.B. No. 1347

      S.D. 1

      H.D. 2

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred S.B. No. 1347, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill, as received by your Committee, is to:

(1)  Enable public utilities to submit filings and applications for rate changes with the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) electronically or by paper document;

(2)  Authorize PUC to assess an electronic-document surcharge to recoup the cost of accepting each electronic-document submitted and to adopt rules to implement the electronic-document surcharge;

(3)  Allow PUC to distribute, apportion, or allocate the costs and expenses of renewable portfolios aggregated by electric utility companies and their affiliates to meet renewable portfolio standards; and

(4)  Allow electric utility companies to recover, through an automatic rate adjustment clause, their revenue requirement from the distribution, apportionment, or allocation of the costs and expenses of their renewable portfolios.

The Division of Consumer Advocacy; Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; Hawaiian Electric Company, Inc.; Hawaii Electric Light Company, Inc.; Maui Electric Company, Ltd.; and Aina Koa Pono supported this bill.  PUC and Hawaiian Telcom commented on this measure.

Your Committee has amended this bill by:

(1)  Adding the provisions of H.B. No. 972, H.D. 1, which requires:

(A)  The PUC to assess a civil penalty of $1,000 per day for each violation committed by a person who violates Section 486H-10.4, Hawaii Revised Statutes (pertaining to the operating of service stations by gasoline dealers and retailers); and

(B)  The Attorney General to institute a civil action for recovery of civil penalties not paid within a time period set by PUC;

(2)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2030, to facilitate continued discussion; and

(3)  Making technical, nonsubstansive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

     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. 1347, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1347, S.D. 1, H.D. 2.

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

____________________________

MARCUS R. OSHIRO, Chair