STAND. COM. REP. NO.  74-16

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2016

RE:   H.B. No. 2076

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection, to which was referred H.B. No. 2076 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO WHEELING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to increase competition within Hawaii's electrical markets, expand customer choice, provide incentives for the production of renewable energy, and diversify Hawaii's energy base by requiring the Public Utilities Commission, by January 1, 2017, to establish policies and rules that implement retail wheeling to enable independent power producers to sell electricity directly to end users.

The Department of Education and Blue Planet Foundation supported this measure.  The Division of Consumer Advocacy of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs supported the intent of the measure.  The Public Utilities Commission submitted comments.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by changing its effective date to January 28, 2981, to facilitate further discussion.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2076, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2076, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection,

____________________________

CHRIS LEE, Chair