STAND. COM. REP. NO. 161-18

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2018

RE: H.B. No. 2248

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection, to which was referred H.B. No. 2248 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CONSUMER PROTECTION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs to adopt state appliance efficiency standards that are modeled after the appliance efficiency standards established in California.

The Oahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawaii, Hawaii Energy, Blue Planet Foundation, and an individual supported this measure. The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers opposed this measure. The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs provided comments.

Your Committee finds that, according to a 2017 national study from the Appliance Standards Awareness Project and The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, adopting appliance efficiency standards could save Hawaii nearly $1,000,000,000 in electricity costs over twenty years, which is the equivalent of about $215 annually for each Hawaii household. Furthermore, according to the "States Go First" report by the Appliance Standards Awareness Project, faucets, showerheads, and computer and monitor standards alone could potentially save Hawaii $35,000,000 in annual utility bill savings and 118 gigawatt hours annually in electricity by 2035, assuming full compliance by 2020.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Removing air purifiers from appliance energy efficiency standards; and

(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity and style.

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. 2248, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2248, 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