STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2497

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2199

       S.D. 1

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committees on Energy and Environment, Economic Development, Government Operations and Housing, and Public Safety, Intergovernmental and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 2199 entitled:

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

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to prohibit the issuance of building permits beginning January 1, 2016, for new residential single-family dwellings without wiring for electric vehicle charging systems that provide level two charging or 240‑volt alternating current charging.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; Americans for Democratic Action/Hawaii; Blue Planet Foundation; Sierra Club of Hawaii; General Motors, LLC; and two individuals.  Your Committees received testimony in opposition to this measure from Castle & Cooke Hawai‘i, The Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii, Hawaii Association of REALTORS, Building Industry Association of Hawaii, and three individuals.

     Your Committees find that the pre-wiring of a new single-family home for an electric vehicle charging system is relatively inexpensive compared to the costs of retrofitting the property.  Also, pre-wiring would encourage residents of newly constructed homes to purchase and drive electric vehicles, which will reduce consumption of gasoline and assist in Hawaii's clean energy goals.

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

     (1)  Amending language to prohibit the issuance of a building permit for a new single-family dwelling that is part of a master tract or part of a bulk application for five single-family dwellings or more if the building plan for the dwelling does not include dedicated wiring for an electric vehicle charging system;

     (2)  Inserting language to allow a county permitting agency to waive the pre-wiring requirement of this measure if:

          (A)  The new single-family dwelling lacks a garage or carport or electrical service to a garage or carport; or

          (B)  The agency determines that there is some other design-related barrier that prevents the building plan from fulfilling the requirements of this measure; and

     (3)  Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Energy and Environment, Economic Development, Government Operations and Housing, and Public Safety, Intergovernmental and Military Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2199, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2199, S.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Energy and Environment, Economic Development, Government Operations and Housing, and Public Safety, Intergovernmental and Military Affairs,

____________________________ DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair	____________________________ MIKE GABBARD, Chair
	____________________________ WILL ESPERO, Chair