STAND. COM. REP. NO.  72-16

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2016

RE:   H.B. No. 2523

      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. 2523 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish default rules for condominium, community, and homeowners associations that allow the placement of solar energy devices on single-family residential dwellings and townhouse units by the owners of those dwellings and units, subject to certain conditions.

The Blue Planet Foundation, Hawaii Solar Energy Association, Distributed Energy Resources Council of Hawaii, Hawaii Chapter of the Community Associations Institute, and a concerned individual supported this measure.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by clarifying that an association may require a solar energy device to be installed pursuant to an approved utility interconnection agreement.

     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. 2523, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2523, 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