STAND. COM. REP. NO.  191

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2017

RE:   H.B. No. 805

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection, to which was referred H.B. No. 805 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to incentivize intervenors in Public Utilities Commission (PUC) proceedings by establishing and appropriating funds for an Intervenor Compensation Program to provide compensation to intervenors who make a substantial contribution to a PUC proceeding that produces a positive result or savings for consumers.

Life of the Land and a few individuals supported this measure.  Hawaiian Electric Company and its subsidiaries, Maui Electric Company and Hawaii Electric Light Company, opposed this measure.  The Division of Consumer Advocacy of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs and the Public Utilities Commission provided comments.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Preventing an intervenor from being compensated for results that may be attributed to another party;

     (2)  Authorizing the PUC to contract for the services of a third party to verify the basis of a compensation award;

     (3)  Replacing the $100,000 appropriation with an amount of $150,000; and

     (4)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, 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. 805, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 805, 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