Bill Text: HI HR101 | 2024 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Requesting The Public Utilities Commission To Order Hawaiian Electric To Continue To Deploy And Pursue Community-based Renewable Energy Projects.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-03-22 - Report adopted; referred to the committee(s) on CPC with none voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Garcia voting no (1) and Representative(s) Evslin, Garrett, Kila, Lamosao, Martinez, Nakashima, Quinlan excused (7). [HR101 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2024-HR101-Introduced.html

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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.R. NO.	101
THIRTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2024
STATE OF HAWAII

HOUSE RESOLUTION

 

 

requesting the public utilities commission to order hawaiian electric to continue to DEPLOY AND PURSUE community-based renewable energy projects.

 

 

 

     WHEREAS, section 269-27.4, Hawaii Revised Statutes, requires each electric utility to file a proposed community-based renewable energy tariff or tariffs with the Public Utilities Commission by October 1, 2015, and establish a community-based renewable energy tariff or tariffs, provided that the tariff or tariffs are found to be in the public interest; and

 

     WHEREAS, community-based renewable energy projects are allowed to utilize public utilities' transmission infrastructure to provide energy to subscribers that may live in a different area from where the renewable energy is being produced; and

 

     WHEREAS, community-based renewable energy projects allow those who are unable to install solar energy systems because of cost restraints, because they do not own their residence, or because they reside in condominiums or other properties that cannot accommodate the systems; and

 

     WHEREAS, community-based renewable energy, or "shared solar", can help the State decrease its reliance on fossil fuels and move toward energy independence and make the transition to renewable energy more equitable regardless of income; and

 

     WHEREAS, community-based renewable energy projects can also allow subscribers to lower their electric bills without making large, upfront investments of financial resources and can benefit underserved groups, specifically seniors and low- to moderate- income families; and

 

     WHEREAS, approximately five community-based renewable energy projects have been installed since 2015, and thirteen community-based renewable energy projects in Phase 2, Tranche 1 were to be installed from 2024 to 2026; and

 

     WHEREAS, in October 2023, the Public Utilities Commission directed Hawaiian Electric to provide a status update regarding the impact of the Maui wildfires on its Community-Based Renewable Energy Program; and

 

     WHEREAS, in the status update, Hawaiian Electric notes that although the Community-Based Renewable Energy Program was not directly impacted by the Maui wildfires, the customer management aspect of the Program requires additional time to develop after commercial operations in order to draw and apply lessons from it to Phase 2, Tranche 2 of the Program, which would establish additional community-based renewable energy projects; Hawaiian Electric therefore recommends that Phase 2, Tranche 2 of the Program be paused, deprioritized, and delayed to allow for completion of existing projects to commercial operation and to continue to identify and evaluate lessons learned from Phase 1 and Phase 2, Tranche 1 of the Program; and

 

     WHEREAS, this body believes that Hawaiian Electric has had more than eight years to prepare for the implementation of its Community-Based Renewable Energy Program, has taken best practices for implementation from numerous other states, and does not require any additional time to continue deployment of shared solar to those communities in great need; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2024, that the Public Utilities Commission is requested to order Hawaiian Electric to continue the deployment of community-based renewable energy projects through Phase 2, Tranche 2 of the Community-Based Renewable Energy Program; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Public Utilities Commission is requested to order Hawaiian Electric to revoke the suspension of procurement and continue to issue requests for proposals for the Community-Based Renewable Energy Program; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Chairperson of the Public Utilities Commission and President and Chief Executive Officer of Hawaiian Electric.

 

 

 

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title: 

Community-based Renewable Energy Projects; Hawaiian Electric