Bill Text: HI HB80 | 2013 | Regular Session | Amended

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Bill Title: Renewable Portfolio Standards; Preferences

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-1)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2013-02-13 - Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on CPC with Representative(s) Fale, Hanohano voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) McDermott voting no (1) and Representative(s) Coffman, Har, Say excused (3). [HB80 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2013-HB80-Amended.html

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STAND. COM. REP. NO.  388

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2013

 

RE:   H.B. No. 80

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection, to which was referred H.B. No. 80 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO RENEWABLE PORTFOLIO STANDARDS,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to protect the environment against potentially harmful effects of the State's pursuit of increased renewable energy sources by allowing the Public Utilities Commission to give preference to certain renewable energy resources when establishing renewable portfolio standards.

 

     The Ocean Renewable Energy Coalition, Oceanlinx Limited, Hawaii Renewable Energy Alliance, and a few individuals provided testimony in support of this measure.  The Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; Public Utilities Commission; Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs Division of Consumer Advocacy; Life of the Land; and Blue Planet Foundation provided comments on this measure.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by requiring that the Public Utilities Commission submit a report to the Legislature prior to the convening of the 2014 Regular Session that examines:

 

     (1)  The potential for giving preference to certain renewable energy resources with specified qualities when establishing renewable portfolio standards, including its criteria preferences and achieving reduced system volatility when considering different energy technologies;

 

     (2)  A clean energy standard that provides an energy scale that provides renewable energy credits to energy producers based upon lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions for each type of energy source including non-renewable energy where the energy source emitting the most greenhouse gases is set at zero;

 

     (3)  The costs and benefits of implementing a clean energy standard;

 

     (4)  The costs and benefits of replacing the renewable portfolio standard with a clean energy standard; and

 

     (5)  Goals for integrated resource planning for the year 2030 and beyond.

 

     Your Committee notes that given the potential for future energy sources, such as wave energy, to quickly advance Hawaii towards its renewable energy goals, it is important that we begin to look further into the future to continue the State's efforts to become sustainable and self-sufficient.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 80, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 80, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection,

 

 

____________________________ CHRIS LEE, Chair