STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1029-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: H.B. No. 2614

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 Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 2614, H.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require government entities in the State that issue building permits to:

(1) Implement, by January 1, 2025, SolarAPP+ or a functionally equivalent online automated permitting platform that processes and issues permits to licensed contractors for solar distributed energy resource systems in real time; or

(2) Adopt a self-certification process for solar distributed energy resource systems that are not SolarAPP+ compatible in areas served by an investor-owned electric utility.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaiʻi Green Infrastructure Authority; Hawaiʻi State Energy Office; one member of the Maui County Council; Ulupono Initiative; Canadian Solar Inc; Photonworks Engineering; Sierra Club of Hawaiʻi; Sunnova Energy International, Inc.; Citizens' Climate Lobby Hawaii; Climate Protectors Hawaiʻi; Hawaii Regional Council of Carpenters; Green Party of Hawaiʻi; 350Hawaii.org; Greenpeace Hawaii; Environmental Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi; Kauai Climate Action Coalition; Hawaii Solar Energy Association; Blue Planet Foundation; Chamber of Sustainable Commerce; Hawaiʻi Alliance for Progressive Action; Tesla; Hawaii Food Industry Association; Amcon Companies LLC; Building Decarbonization Task Force of the Hawaiʻi Environmental Change Agents; Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi; Sunrun; Hawaiʻi Unified Industries; Hawaiʻi Executive Collaborative Climate Coalition; Sol-Ark; Blue Planet Energy; Alternate Energy Hawaii Inc.; and numerous individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Contractors License Board. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Board of Professional Engineers, Architects, Surveyors, and Landscape Architects.

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 H.B. No. 2614, H.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

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

____________________________

KYLE T. YAMASHITA, Chair