THE SENATE

KA AHA KENEKOA

 

THE THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE

REGULAR SESSION OF 2025

 

COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE AND CONSUMER PROTECTION

Senator Jarrett Keohokalole, Chair

Senator Carol Fukunaga, Vice Chair

 

COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS

Senator Glenn Wakai, Chair

Senator Stanley Chang, Vice Chair

 

NOTICE OF HEARING

 

 

DATE:

Tuesday, February 11, 2025

TIME:

9:30 AM

PLACE:

Conference Room 229 & Videoconference

State Capitol

415 South Beretania Street

TIMESLOT:

CPN

 

 

PHOTO ID REQUIRED FOR ENTRANCE TO THE STATE CAPITOL

BUILDING HOURS: 7AM TO 5PM, MONDAY - FRIDAY

 

The Legislature is accepting written, videoconference, and in-person testimony at public hearings.

A live stream of all Senate Standing Committee meetings will be available on the Senate YouTube Channel.

 

 

A G E N D A

 

SB 1201

      Status & Testimony

RELATING TO WILDFIRES.

Establishes the Wildfire Recovery Fund.  Allows securitization for electric utilities.

 

CPN/EIG, WAM

SB 1220

      Status & Testimony

RELATING TO RENEWABLE GAS TARIFF.

Requires gas utility companies to submit proposed renewable gas tariffs to the Public Utilities Commission by August 31, 2025.  Requires the Public Utilities Commission to establish a renewable gas tariff within six months of receiving a proposed renewable gas tariff.

 

CPN/EIG, WAM

SB 1500

      Status & Testimony

RELATING TO ELECTRIC UTILITIES.

Provides the Public Utilities Commission with the authority to appoint a receiver to take temporary action necessary to assure continued adequate electric services from regulated investor-owned electric utilities.  Appropriates funds out of the Public Utilities Commission Special Fund.

 

CPN/EIG, WAM

SB 1501

      Status & Testimony

RELATING TO ENERGY.

Allows the State to enter into step-in agreements for payment obligations arising under certain power purchase agreements.  Establishes the Power Purchasing Costs Trust Fund.  Establishes that revenues from on-bill charges for power purchase agreements and accompanying reserves shall be held in trust by the State, and that independent power producers shall hold a beneficial interest in the revenue and reserve to the extent of the amounts owed under the covered power purchase agreements.  Appoints, authorizes, and empowers an electric utility to serve as the billing, collection, payment, and managing agent of the Department of Budget and Finance in the service of performing step-in agreements.

 

EIG/CPN, WAM

SB 897, SD1

      (SSCR70)

      Status & Testimony

RELATING TO ENERGY.

Requires, rather than allows, the Public Utilities Commission to contract for a Hawaii Electricity Reliability Administrator and require payment of the Hawaii electricity reliability surcharge.  Establishes the Wildfire Recovery Fund.  Expands the powers and duties of the Hawaii Electricity Reliability Administrator.  Effective 5/13/2040. (SD1)

 

EIG/CPN, WAM

 

Decision Making to follow, if time permits.

 

All testimony received by the Hawai‘i Senate is posted on the Hawai‘i Legislature's website, which is accessible to the public. Please do not include private information that you do not want disclosed to the public.

 

Please go to the Legislature's website, https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov, to submit written testimony at least 48 hours prior to the hearing. Create a free account on the website, or sign in to an existing account, then click on the "Participate" drop down menu and select the "Submit Testimony" option to get started. While submitting your written testimony, you will be prompted to indicate if you would also like to testify at the hearing in-person or remotely via videoconference.

 

Please note the following:

 

·         The number of oral testifiers and/or time allotted to each testifier may be limited by the Chair when necessary to adhere to the committee hearing schedule. We may not be able to accommodate everyone who requests to testify orally.

·         Testifiers for this hearing will be limited to 2 minutes each.

 

If you wish to testify via videoconference during the hearing, please review the detailed step-by-step instructions for testimony procedures before you submit your written testimony. Here's a direct link to the instructions: https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/docs/testimonyinstructions.pdf

 

For general help navigating the committee hearing process, please contact the Public Access Room at (808) 587-0478 or par@capitol.hawaii.gov. You can also visit their website at https://lrb.hawaii.gov/par/.

 

For special assistance: The cable TV broadcast and/or live stream of this meeting will include closed captioning. If you need an auxiliary aid/service or other accommodation due to a disability, please call the committee clerk at the telephone number listed below or email CPNcommittee@capitol.hawaii.gov. Requests made as early as possible have a greater likelihood of being fulfilled.

 

For amended notices: Measures that have been deleted are stricken through and measures that have been added are underscored.  If a measure is both underscored and stricken through, that measure has been deleted from the agenda.

 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CALL THE COMMITTEE CLERK AT (808)-587-7215.

 

 

_____________________________________

Senator Glenn Wakai

Chair

 

_____________________________________

Senator Jarrett Keohokalole

Chair