STAND. COM. REP. NO.  644

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2011

 

RE:   H.B. No. 1517

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce, to which was referred H.B. No. 1517 entitled:

 

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

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this bill is to expand the duties of the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to include:

 

     (1)  Considering energy efficiency to reduce reliance on fossil fuels; and

 

     (2)  Considering the impacts of reliance on fossil fuel, including price and supply volatility, increased costs, and greenhouse emissions of imported fuels, when determining the reasonableness of utility capital improvement and operation costs.

 

The measure will also allow the PUC to consider higher costs of alternative energy sources as reasonable when compared to the consequences of the use of fossil fuels.

 

     The Blue Planet Foundation and the Sierra Club-Hawaii Chapter supported this measure.  The Western States Petroleum Association opposed the bill.  The PUC offered comments.

 

     Your Committee has changed the effective date of this bill to July 1, 2020, to encourage further discussion.

 

     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. 1517, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1517, H.D. 1.

 

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

 

 

		____________________________ ROBERT N. HERKES, Chair