STAND. COM. REP. NO. 526

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    GOV. MSG. NO. 524

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection, to which was referred Governor's Message No. 524, submitting for study and consideration the nomination of: 

Chairperson of the Public Utilities Commission

G.M. No. 524

RANDALL IWASE, for a term to expire 6-30-2020,

begs leave to report as follows:

     Your Committee has reviewed the personal history, resume, and statement submitted by the nominee and finds Randall Iwase to possess the requisite qualifications to be nominated to the Public Utilities Commission.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of the nomination of Randall Iwase from the Office of the Governor; Department of Budget and Finance; Department of Transportation; Ironworkers Stabilization Fund; International Longshore and Warehouse Union, Local 142; Hawaii Laborers-Employers Cooperation and Education Trust; Hawaii Government Employees Association, AFSCME Local 152, AFL-CIO; Ulupono Initiative; Blue Planet Foundation; Young Brothers, Limited; Capitol Consultants of Hawaii, LLP; and seventeen individuals.

     Upon review of the testimony, your Committee finds that Mr. Iwase's background, experience, and commitment to public service qualify him for appointment as the Chairperson of the Public Utilities Commission.  Your Committee notes that Mr. Iwase has extensive experience in the public sector.  Mr. Iwase began his career in the Department of the Attorney General where his division provided legal counsel to various state agencies, including the Public Utilities Commission.  Mr. Iwase served three years on the Honolulu City Council, where he served as Chair of the Budget and Finance Committee, and later served ten years in the Hawaii State Senate.  While in the Senate, Mr. Iwase was the Chair of the Senate Committee on Planning, Land, and Water Use Management and a Majority Whip.  More recently, Mr. Iwase served as the Chair of the Hawaii Labor and Industrial Relations Appeals Board from 2000 through 2006 and Chair of the Hawaii State Tax Review Commission from 2011 through 2012.

     Your Committee further finds that Mr. Iwase recognizes and supports the State's energy policies and goals and acknowledges the regulatory responsibilities that the Public Utilities Commission must fulfill in support of those goals.  Through his years of public service, Mr. Iwase has gained a thorough understanding of public policy and acknowledges the historical importance of the decisions that the Public Utilities Commission must make in upcoming years.  This insight will be critical in light of the major dockets currently before the Public Utilities Commission, including the merger application recently filed by Hawaiian Electric Industries, Inc., and NextEra Energy, Inc.

     Your Committee notes that Mr. Iwase's varied legal and political experience will be an invaluable complement to the policy and technical expertise of the other Public Utilities Commissioners and therefore recommends that Mr. Iwase be appointed as Chairperson of the Public Utilities Commission based on his knowledge, background, and dedication to serving the public.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection that is attached to this report, your Committee, after full consideration of the background, experience, and qualifications of the nominee, has found the nominee to be qualified for the position to which nominated and recommends that the Senate advise and consent to the nomination.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection,

____________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair