STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2320

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2950

       S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Transportation and Energy and Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 2950 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ELECTRIC VEHICLES,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to temporarily authorize the use of the public benefits fee revenues for the installation and upgrade of electric power infrastructure to facilitate the use of electric vehicles by increasing the number of available electric vehicle charging stations, including home- and work-based charging stations.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism; Hawaiian Electric Company; and Blue Planet Foundation.  Your Committees received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs.

     Your Committees find that increasing the number of electric vehicles in Hawaii will help the State reach its clean energy initiatives and renewable energy portfolio standards goal of one hundred percent renewable by 2045.  Your Committees further find that the lack of electric vehicle charging stations in the State constitutes a significant barrier to the public's use of electric vehicles.  Your Committees believe that increasing the number of electric vehicle charging stations in the State, including home- and work-based charging stations, will encourage more consumers to purchase electric vehicles.

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

     (1)  Clarifying that in no case may the public benefits fee administrator fund one hundred percent of any project;

     (2)  Requiring that the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to establish a fee for use of electric power stations to partially offset the costs of installation; and

     (3)  Making a technical, nonsubstantive amendment for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Transportation and Energy and Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2950, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2950, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Transportation and Energy and Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health,

________________________________ ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair

________________________________ LORRAINE R. INOUYE, Chair