STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1967-22

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2022

RE: S.B. No. 2720

S.D. 2

H.D. 2

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred S.B. No. 2720, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ENERGY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Allow for new or upgraded electric vehicle charging stations having a single port to qualify for a rebate under the Electric Vehicle Charging Station Rebate Program;

(2) Eliminate the annual cap on the rebate but subject rebates to the availability of funds;

(3) Increase flexibility of the Public Utilities Commission to administer the Rebate Program;

(4) Increase the maximum percentage of Rebate Program appropriations that may be expended for administrative costs;

(5) Allow for marketing and outreach expenses to be included within allowable administration costs of the Rebate Program; and

(6) Appropriate funds out of the Electric Vehicle Charging System subaccount for the Rebate Program.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Transportation, Hawaii State Energy Office, Department of Design and Construction of the City and County of Honolulu, Hawaiian Electric Company, Blue Planet Foundation, Ulupono Initiative, Climate Protectors Hawai‘i, 350Hawaii.org, Building Owners and Managers Association of Hawai‘i, Hawaii Automobile Dealers' Association, Tesla, Hawaii Electric Vehicle Association, Big Island Electric Vehicle Association, Alliance for Automotive Innovation, Aloha Charge, Kauai Women's Caucus, and fifteen individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Public Utilities Commission; Office of Climate Change, Sustainability and Resiliency of the City and County of Honolulu; and Hawai‘i Energy.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the rebate amounts for new or upgraded electric vehicle charging stations having a single port to unspecified amounts;

(2) Changing the maximum percentage of Electric Vehicle Charging Station Rebate Program appropriations that may be expended for administrative costs to an unspecified amount;

(3) Changing the amounts appropriated out of the Electric Vehicle Charging System subaccount to unspecified amounts; and

(4) 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 Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2720, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2720, S.D. 2, H.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Finance,

____________________________

SYLVIA LUKE, Chair