STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1140-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: S.B. No. 2677

S.D. 2

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection, to which was referred S.B. No. 2677, S.D. 2, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Authorize homeowners and homebuilders to submit variance applications requesting that a single-family dwelling be exempt from having a solar water heater system;

(2) Change the requirement that a demand water heater device be approved by Underwriters Laboratories, Inc., to any nationally recognized testing laboratory for the acceptance of a variance application;

(3) Expand potential exemptions for the requirement that all new single-family dwellings have solar water heater systems;

(4) Require a copy of the variance application to be provided to the appropriate county authority; and

(5) Authorize applicants to submit the variance request concurrently with the building permit application.

Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Green Party of Hawaiʻi; Sierra Club of Hawaiʻi; Sunaru Inc. dba Solar Help Hawaii; Kauai Climate Action Coalition; Blue Planet Foundation; 350Hawaii.org; Inception Financial LLC; Green Power Projects LLC; Meyer Burger Americas; Hawaii Solar Energy Association; Greenpeace Hawaii; Hawaiʻi Energy; The Solaray Corporation dba Inter-Island Solar Supply; and numerous individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Hawaii State Energy Office and Hawaiʻi Gas.

Your Committee notes that there are concerns regarding the environmental impact that this measure would have and potential regression of benefits that the State's solar water heater policy has provided to residents and the environment.

Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Deleting all proposed amendments except the amendment to require that a demand water heater device be approved by any nationally recognized testing laboratory, rather than just Underwriters Laboratories, Inc.;

(2) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, 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 S.B. No. 2677, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2677, S.D. 2, 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