STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2918

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2483

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2483, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ENERGY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to promote the use of renewable energy in the State.

More specifically, this measure:

(1) Includes as an objective in energy planning for the State's facility systems the requirement that all new utility scale electricity generation projects use renewable resources to generate electricity;

(2) Amends the State's policies to:

(A) Ensure the short- and long-term provision of adequate, reasonably priced, and dependable renewable energy and the prioritization of renewable energy generation;

(B) Require that decisions of least-cost supply-side and demand-side energy resource options be based on, among other things, the benefits of non-fossil fuel sources to maximize the reduction in consumption of fossil fuels; and

(C) Include the use of non-fossil fuel sources in the development or expansion of energy systems; and

(3) Appropriate moneys for the Hawaii Natural Energy Institute to evaluate the benefits and costs of dispatching renewable energy resources.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Hawaii Clean Power Alliance and six individuals.

Your Committee received written comments in opposition to this measure from the Hawaiian Electric Company.

Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance and Hawaii State Energy Office.

Your Committee finds that by prioritizing renewable energy generation, this measure will help the State to achieve the State's goal of generating one hundred percent clean energy by 2045.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Amending the appropriation to appropriate moneys directly out of the energy systems development special fund;

(2) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion on the measure; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2483, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2483, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair