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THE SENATE                           S.R. NO.              S.D. 1
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2000                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                    SENATE  RESOLUTION

  REQUESTING THE HAWAIIAN ELECTRIC COMPANY TO MAINTAIN ITS DEMAND
    SIDE MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS BENEFITTING ELECTRICITY
    CUSTOMERS.


 1        WHEREAS, Demand Side Management (DSM) is clearly in the
 2   public interest and comports with the State's energy policies
 3   encouraging the use of renewable energy and energy efficiency;
 4   and
 5   
 6        WHEREAS, the web pages of both the Consumer Advocate and
 7   the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism
 8   describe the advantages of DSM in reducing costs, deferring or
 9   delaying the need for newer more expensive generation
10   facilities, and reducing environmental risks; and
11   
12        WHEREAS, increasing the amounts of DSM will lead to
13   enormous savings for the residents of Hawaii; and
14   
15        WHEREAS, investments in utility DSM have significantly
16   increased jobs for small and medium sized Hawaii businesses who
17   have installed the energy efficiency devices; and
18   
19        WHEREAS, existing DSM programs being offered by electric
20   utilities statewide help a broad cross-section of the energy
21   consuming public including residential, commercial, and
22   industrial customers; and
23   
24        WHEREAS, Hawaiian Electric Company has recently announced
25   that it plans to reduce its DSM program by offering smaller
26   rebates for the installation of solar water heating systems,
27   from $800 to $500 for existing residences and from $1,500 to
28   $1,000 for newly constructed homes on Oahu effective April 1,
29   2000; and
30   
31        WHEREAS, Hawaiian Electric Company's announcement and the
32   deadline have not allowed citizens sufficient time to plan for
33   the acquisition of solar water systems under the DSM program
34   and have resulted in significant pent up demand; and
35   
36        WHEREAS, the Hawaiian Electric Company has already
37   indicated that it and its subsidiaries, Maui Electric Company
38   and Hawaii Electric Light Company, through their DSM programs,
39   have installed some 10,000 solar water systems statewide which
40   makes their programs the most successful programs of their kind

 
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                                  S.R. NO.              S.D. 1
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1   in the nation; and
 2   
 3        WHEREAS, the Hawaiian Electric Company has expressed the
 4   possibility that it may have to further reduce its DSM programs
 5   in the future; and
 6   
 7        WHEREAS, the Public Utilities Commission will ultimately
 8   decide on the fate of specific DSM programs in the State of
 9   Hawaii; now, therefore,
10   
11        BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twentieth Legislature
12   of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2000, that the
13   Hawaiian Electric Company is urged to retain the solar water
14   heating rebate levels at their current levels for at least one
15   year beyond April 1, 2000; and
16   
17        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Public Utilities
18   Commission is requested to monitor this situation closely so
19   that the intent of this Resolution is faithfully implemented;
20   and
21   
22        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Hawaiian Electric Company is
23   requested to submit a report on the status of this request and
24   its findings and recommendations to the Legislature no later
25   than twenty days prior to the convening of the 2001 Regular
26   Session; and
27   
28        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this
29   Resolution be transmitted to the Hawaiian Electric Company,
30   Maui Electric Company, Hawaii Electric and Light Company, Kauai
31   Electric Company, the Public Utilities Commission, the Consumer
32   Advocate, the Hawaii Solar Energy Association, the Hawaii
33   Renewable Energy Alliance, Life of the Land, and the Sierra
34   Club, Hawaii Chapter.