STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1317

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 193

H.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Energy, Economic Development, and Tourism, to which was referred H.B. No. 193, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ENERGY-EFFICIENCY PORTFOLIO STANDARDS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to extend and further develop the energy-efficiency portfolio standards established and overseen by the Public Utilities Commission.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii State Energy Office; Public Utilities Commission; City and County of Honolulu Office of Climate Change, Sustainability and Resiliency; Ulupono Initiative; Blue Planet Foundation; Climate Protectors Hawai‘i; Hawaii Solar Energy Association; and two individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs' Division of Consumer Advocacy and Hawai‘i Energy.

Your Committee finds that Act 155, Session Laws of Hawaii 2009 (Act 155), codified the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative's goals for energy efficiency under section 269-96, Hawaii Revised Statutes. Act 155 set the statewide energy efficiency goal for 2030 at four thousand three hundred gigawatt hours and directed the Public Utilities Commission to establish interim goals for 2015, 2020, and 2025. Your Committee believes that now, nearly fifteen years later, it is appropriate to extend these goals so that the Public Utilities Commission can continue its efforts to develop and oversee the State's energy-efficiency portfolio standards beyond 2030. This measure will ensure the continued impact of energy efficiency programming benefits and align the State's renewable energy portfolio standard target date with the State's target dates for its renewable energy and carbon negative goals.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Energy, Economic Development, and Tourism that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 193, H.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committees on Commerce and Consumer Protection and Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Energy, Economic Development, and Tourism,

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LYNN DECOITE, Chair