STAND. COM. REP. NO.  63-12

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2012

RE:   H.B. No. 1945

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2012

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Agriculture, to which was referred H.B. No. 1945 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is require public utilities to propose preferential public utility rates to the Public Utilities Commission for public utility services provided to ratepayers engaged in agricultural activities in agricultural districts.

Hawaii Bioenergy, LLC; Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation; Land Use Research Foundation of Hawaii; Young Brothers, Limited; and a concerned individual testified in support of this measure.  The Department of Agriculture and the Public Utilities Commission supported the intent of this measure.  Poamoho Organic Produce provided comments on this measure.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Authorizing public utilities to propose such preferential public utility rates;

     (2)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion; and

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

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Agriculture that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1945, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1945, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce.

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

____________________________

CLIFT TSUJI, Chair