STAND. COM. REP. NO. 14-22

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2022

RE: H.B. No. 1807

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection, to which was referred H.B. No. 1807 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ENERGY INTERCONNECTION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to direct the Public Utilities Commission to adopt guidelines that require electric utilities to develop electricity load management plans that integrate and leverage the capabilities of distributed energy resources and energy efficiency to reduce the need for utility expenditures on distribution, transmission, and other utility infrastructure before interconnecting any new residential, commercial, or industrial development that requires costs of utility infrastructure upgrades in excess of a threshold determined by the Commission.

Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Hawaiian Electric Company, Inc. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Public Utilities Commission, Hawaii State Energy Office, Life of the Land, and Tesla.

Your Committee finds that especially for new developments, it is imperative that electric utilities develop electricity load management plans that integrate and leverage the capabilities of distributed energy resources and energy efficiency to prevent ratepayers from paying for unnecessarily large capital expenditures.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting language that exempts electric vehicle charging infrastructure applications from the provisions of this measure;

(2) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2100, to encourage further discussion; and

(3) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1807, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1807, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection,

____________________________

NICOLE E. LOWEN, Chair