STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1209-12

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2012

RE:   S.B. No. 2981

      S.D. 2

      H.D. 2

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2012

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce, to which was referred S.B. No. 2981, 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 measure is to allow the Public Utilities Commission to direct electric utilities to include specific scenarios in each utility's integrated resource planning action plan to help the State achieve its clean energy goals by:

     (1)  Developing a framework to replace oil-based power generation facilities; and

     (2)  Examining certain policies related to the distribution of renewable energy, including the transmission of excess firm or intermittent renewable resources via an undersea cable.

The Hawaii Renewable Energy Alliance and Blue Planet Foundation testified in support of this measure.  The Public Utilities Commission; Sierra Club, Hawaii Chapter; and Hawaiian Electric Company and its subsidiary utilities, Maui Electric Company and Hawaii Electric Light Company, testified in support of the intent of this measure.  One individual testified in opposition to this measure.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion.

     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. 2981, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2981, S.D. 2, H.D. 2.

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

____________________________

ROBERT N. HERKES, Chair