STAND. COM. REP. NO. 624-20

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2020

RE: H.B. No. 953

H.D. 2

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce, to which was referred H.B. No. 953, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ENERGY ASSURANCE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to clarify the powers of the Governor and Director of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism and procedures in preparation for and during a fuel shortage or state of emergency.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; Hawaii Emergency Management Agency; Hawaii State Energy Office; Hawaii Natural Energy Institute; ReadyZoneHQ; and Hawaii Petroleum Marketers Association. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Public Utilities Commission and Hawaii Gas.

Your Committee finds that adequate supplies of energy resources are essential to the health, welfare, and safety of the people of Hawaii, and that any actual or potential disruption or shortage of energy resources within the State would cause grave hardship, pose a threat to the economic well-being of the people of the State, and have significant adverse effects upon public confidence, order, and the effective conservation of energy resources. This measure allows the Governor or Director of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to adequately plan and prepare for, respond to, recover from, and mitigate against any actual or potential energy supply disruption or shortage, and to preserve the State's energy security.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Designating the Chief Energy Officer, rather than the Director of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, as the alternative executive officer delegated with authority during a fuel shortage or state of emergency;

(2) Designating the Hawaii State Energy Office, rather than the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, as the agency tasked with conducting quantitative and qualitative analyses of the State's energy resources, preparing the comprehensive and integrated biennial state energy emergency preparedness plan, and gathering supply and demand data when there's a state of emergency; and

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

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. 953, 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. 953, H.D. 2.

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

____________________________

ROY M. TAKUMI, Chair