STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3179

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                   

 

RE:     H.B. No. 2274

        H.D. 1

        S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Transportation and Energy, to which was referred H.B. No. 2274, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to increase the availability of charging facilities for electric vehicle in the State by:

 

     (1)  Increasing the number of parking stalls that must have electric vehicle supply equipment at large parking facilities and allowing the Director of Transportation to fine properties not in compliance with the requirements; and

 

     (2)  Establishing a working group to examine issues regarding the installation of electric vehicle supply equipment in multiple unit dwellings and planned communities, including ways to increase parking spaces with electric vehicle supply equipment without relying on funding from ratepayers or other tax revenues.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Transportation; Hawaiian Electric Company, Inc.; Pulama Lānai; Ulupono Initiative; Tesla; Organizing for Action; Blue Planet Foundation; 350Hawaii.org; 350.org; Oahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawaii; FreeWire Technologies; and fifteen individuals.  Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Chamber of Commerce Hawaii, Retail Merchants of Hawaii, Building Industry Association of Hawaii, Hawaii Credit Union League, and Building Owners and Managers Association of Hawaii.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; Stadium Authority; and City and County of Honolulu Department of Transportation Services.

 

     Your Committee finds that the State is promoting the use of electric motor vehicles in an effort to achieve its goals of clean energy by 2045.  However, increasing the number of electric vehicles in the State will necessitate more facilities for drivers to charge their electric vehicles.  Thus, this measure requires parking facilities to gradually increase the number of electric vehicle supply equipment provided at parking facilities by creating a ratio of electric vehicle supply equipment per hundred parking stalls that a parking facility must provide, and establishes a fine for noncompliance.

 

     Your Committee heard concerns from numerous testifiers about the affordability of increasing the number of electric vehicle supply equipment in parking facilities as required by this measure.  In particular, the Stadium Authority noted that the limited use of the Aloha Stadium parking lot might not justify meeting this measure's requirements.

 

     Additionally, your Committee received testimony from the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism noting that a working group with similar membership and responsibilities was previously established by Act 164, Session Laws of Hawaii 2015, and the working group established in this measure would likely replicate the findings from the 2015 working group.  However, your Committee finds that testimony provided on this measure has raised additional concerns related to electric vehicle supply equipment at parking facilities, as well as electric vehicle charging capacity in the State.

 

     Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Amending the requirements relating to the number of parking spaces required to have electric vehicle supply equipment at large parking facilities to be applicable only to facilities built after 2016;

 

     (2)  Focusing the scope of the working group's study to:

 

          (A)  Collaborate with the City and County of Honolulu to explore mobile charging infrastructure technology; and

 

          (B)  Examine the feasibility of increasing the number of electric vehicle charging stations at Aloha Stadium; and

 

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

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Transportation and Energy that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2274, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2274, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Transportation and Energy,

 

 

 

________________________________

LORRAINE R. INOUYE, Chair