STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2962

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2997

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 2997, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC UTILITIES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to require electric utilities to design a risk-based wildfire protection plan approved by the Public Utilities Commission.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from Ulupono Initiative and Hawaiian Electric.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Office of the Governor, Division of Consumer Advocacy of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Hawaii State Energy Office, Public Utilities Commission, and Maui Chamber of Commerce.

Your Committee finds that the Maui wildfires that arose on August 8, 2023, resulted in an unbearable loss of lives, homes, infrastructure, and businesses. The Maui wildfires are a wake-up call that due to climate change, the risk of catastrophic wildfires and other natural disasters in the State has increased. Your Committee further finds that as the risk of catastrophic wildfires in the State increases, electric utilities must develop and implement effective plans for wildfire risk mitigation. This measure will encourage electric utilities to proactively manage their wildfire risk by requiring that they design a risk-based wildfire protection plan approved by the Public Utilities Commission.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting an effective date of April 14, 2112, to encourage further discussion; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2997, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2997, S.D. 2.

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

________________________________

KARL RHOADS, Chair