|
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
H.R. NO. |
116 |
|
TWENTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2002 |
||
|
STATE OF HAWAII |
||
REQUESTING THAT COMPANIES SUPPLYING ELECTRONIC DEVICES TO CONSUMERS INVESTIGATE EFFICIENCY TO REDUCE FINANCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL COSTS.
WHEREAS, electricity continues to be a vital resource for our island state; and
WHEREAS, electricity throughout the islands is more expensive than most of the rest of the nation; and
WHEREAS, nearly all electricity in our State is produced from imported oil; and
WHEREAS, electricity production constitutes a major source of statewide greenhouse gas production; and
WHEREAS, a number of Hawaii companies are providing electronic devices to consumers for entertainment ("set-top devices"), telecommunications, and other services; and
WHEREAS, consumers often have no choice in which devices they use for these services; and
WHEREAS, many of these devices cannot be turned off; and
WHEREAS, many of these devices can be turned off, but with no significant savings in electricity; and
WHEREAS, most consumers expect that turning off a device reduces its electric usage significantly; and
WHEREAS, digital devices often consume even more electricity than older ones; and
WHEREAS, some Hawaii companies are upgrading to digital devices at a rapid rate; and
WHEREAS, these devices often create a twenty-four-hour "phantom load" which exceeds that created by other household devices; and
WHEREAS, the heat generated by these devices significantly increases the electricity used by air-conditioning and cooling equipment in many homes, hotels, and other locations; and
WHEREAS, consumers choosing electrical devices for themselves are usually provided with information on the electricity usage and cost of those devices; and
WHEREAS, the Environmental Protection Agency estimates that American consumers spend over $600,000,000 a year on electricity used by set-top devices, not including other similar devices; and
WHEREAS, the Environmental Protection Agency established an "Energy Star" standard for set-top cable and satellite devices in January 2001; and
WHEREAS, if Hawaii companies provided devices which complied with this voluntary standard, or which could just be turned off, consumers statewide could save millions of dollars each year; and
WHEREAS, the Environmental Protection Agency standard requires that set-top devices provide the same functionality and convenience, including "instant on" performance; and
WHEREAS, manufacturers of set-top devices have begun to provide equipment which meets this standard; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-first Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2002, that companies providing set-top cable and satellite devices to consumers are respectfully requested to investigate available and forthcoming devices which meet the voluntary standard established by the Environmental Protection Agency as the "Energy Star" standard; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that companies providing other devices, whether or not relevant Energy Star standards exist, are requested to investigate more efficient devices for products including but not limited to:
(1) Cable modems;
(2) DSL modems; and
(3) Microwave set-top boxes;
and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that all these companies are urged to educate consumers about how to reduce electricity costs by providing them with information including but not limited to:
(1) Whether the consumer can safely and conveniently unplug or switch off the device;
(2) How much electricity the device uses when on and (if applicable) when off;
(3) How much the device costs to operate in a typical year, at each island's recent electric rates; and
(4) Availability of third-party devices which perform the same function;
and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that all these companies are urged to make available annually information on the total electric usage of all devices they have deployed, with the understanding that competitive reasons preclude some companies from divulging detailed information about how many devices they have deployed, or about which types of devices they have deployed; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that these companies are urged to weigh the financial costs of upgrading to more efficient devices against the long-term cost savings which could be obtained through efficiency upgrades; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that regulatory agencies are urged to allow rate structures encouraging regulated companies to recoup any costs of upgrading to more efficient devices by passing on to consumers charges which are less than the electricity cost reduction a consumer will obtain from such an upgrade, providing long-term financial benefits for all parties; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a certified copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the Public Utilities Commission for rate structure reviews and distribution to affected companies.
|
OFFERED BY: |
_____________________________ |
|
Report Title:
Electricity; Energy Savings