STAND. COM. REP. NO.  550-16

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2016

RE:   H.B. No. 2523

      H.D. 2

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce, to which was referred H.B. No. 2523, 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 establish default rules for condominium, community, and homeowners associations that have not adopted rules allowing for the placement of solar energy devices on single-family residential dwellings and townhouse units.

The Distributed Energy Resources Council of Hawaii and Hawaii Solar Energy Association provided testimony in support of the measure.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by deleting the option for denial of a complete installation proposal for placement of a solar energy device, in the absence of rules adopted pursuant to section 196-7(b), Hawaii Revised Statutes.

     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 H.B. No. 2523, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2523, H.D. 2.

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

____________________________

ANGUS L.K. McKELVEY, Chair