63
THE SENATE                           S.R. NO.              S.D. 1
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 1999                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                    SENATE  RESOLUTION

  REQUESTING THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION, UPON RECEIPT OF
    HAWAIIAN ELECTRIC COMPANY'S APPLICATION FOR APPROVAL OF
    THE PROPOSED KAMOKU-PUKELE 138,000 VOLT TRANSMISSION LINE
    PROJECT IN HONOLULU, TO BIFURCATE THE DOCKET IN ORDER TO
    FIRST CONSIDER THE ISSUE OF NEED.


 1        WHEREAS, the Hawaiian Electric Company, Inc. (HECO) has
 2   proposed to construct a 138,000 volt transmission line project
 3   in Honolulu from the Kamoku Substation on Date Street (east of
 4   the Kapiolani Boulevard, Date Street and Kamoku Street
 5   intersection) to the Pukele Substation at the northwest corner
 6   of Palolo Valley; and
 7   
 8        WHEREAS, the community has expressed strong concerns
 9   including, but not limited to, the alleged need for the
10   proposed project, the routing and manner of placement of the
11   project if needed, long term financial and aesthetic impacts,
12   destruction of viewplanes, scenic and recreational resources,
13   health effects of electric and magnetic field (EMF) exposure,
14   desecration of culturally significant sites, and economic
15   impacts on the visitor and film industries; and
16   
17        WHEREAS, the need for the project has never been directly
18   addressed or evaluated by the Public Utilities Commission or
19   through the environmental impact statement process, no docket
20   has yet been opened specifically concerning the project; now,
21   therefore,
22   
23        BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twentieth Legislature
24   of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 1999, that upon
25   receipt of Hawaiian Electric Company's application for approval
26   of the proposed Kamoku-Pukele 138,000 volt transmission line
27   project, the Public Utilities Commission is requested to
28   bifurcate the docket in order to first consider and make a
29   determination on the issue of need independently of and prior
30   to all other issues raised by the proposed project; and
31   
32        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that if the Public Utilities
33   Commission determines that the need exists for the project, it
34   is requested to then place a 90 day recess in the docket
35   proceedings before consideration of the specific design,
36   routing, placement, cost, and other issues in order to allow
37   the community to prepare its response to Hawaiian Electric
38   Company's proposal before the Public Utilities Commission; and

 
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                                  S.R. NO.              S.D. 1
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1   
 2        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that consideration of the issue of
 3   need shall include:
 4   
 5        (1)  A review of the Oahu-wide electrical transmission
 6             system;
 7   
 8        (2)  An analysis of how the project by itself may improve
 9             "reliability";
10   
11        (3)  An evaluation of other system-wide improvement
12             alternatives and technological alternatives to the
13             Kamoku-Pukele project;
14   
15        (4)  An analysis of the total costs of the project for the
16             planned life of the project, including construction
17             costs, maintenance costs, revenue requirements, debt
18             servicing, and non-pecuniary costs; and
19   
20        (5)  A comparison of these costs to the anticipated
21             benefits of the Kamoku-Pukele 138,000 volt
22             transmission line project;
23   
24   and
25   
26        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Public Utilities
27   Commission is requested to submit a report concerning the
28   status of any proceedings concerning the proposed Kamoku-Pukele
29   138,000 volt transmission line project and any findings and
30   recommendations to the Legislature not later than twenty
31   calendar days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of
32   2000; and
33   
34        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this
35   Resolution be transmitted to the Public Utilities Commission,
36   Hawaiian Electric Company, Inc., the Governor, the Mayor of the
37   City and County of Honolulu, all members of the Honolulu City
38   Council, the Consumer Advocate, the Chairperson of the
39   Department of Land and Natural Resources, Life of the Land, The
40   Outdoor Circle, Malama o Manoa, Saint Louis Heights Community
41   Association, Ho'olaulima o Palolo, Safe Power Action Network,
42   The Sierra Club, Hawaii Chapter.