STAND. COM. REP. NO. 424

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: H.B. No. 1055

H.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce, to which was referred H.B. No. 1055 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN EMERGENCY APPROPRIATION TO THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to make an emergency appropriation for the Public Utilities Commission to procure services by consultants with technical expertise to assist with the efforts to strengthen the resilience and reliability of electric utility services in the State.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Public Utilities Commission and Hawaiian Electric.

Your Committee finds that the devastating Maui wildfires on August 8, 2023, was one of the worst natural disasters in the State's history. Your Committee further finds that the Public Utilities Commission is the regulatory body with the oversight authority for strengthening critical infrastructure, mitigating risks, protecting utility customers, and ensuring robust recovery following extreme weather events.

In response to the Maui wildfires, the Public Utilities Commission will further efforts to strengthen the resilience and reliability of electric utility services in the State. To assist in this effort, the Public Utilities Commission needs consultants with specialized expertise to provide technical assessments, evaluations, and recommendations for mitigating storm-related power outages, restoring the grid, rebuilding infrastructure, and preparing for direct impacts of other natural disasters. This measure provides the Public Utilities Commission with the emergency funding to contract with consultant services to provide the needed expertise.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the appropriation to an unspecified amount;

(2) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

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

Your Committee respectfully requests your Committee on Finance, should it deliberate on this measure, to consider an appropriation amount of $700,000.

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. 1055, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1055, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

SCOT Z. MATAYOSHI, Chair