STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1377-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: S.B. No. 2497

S.D. 2

H.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection, to which was referred S.B. No. 2497, S.D. 2, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require electric utilities, excluding electric cooperatives, to:

(1) Maintain an online bill analysis tool for electric power systems that provides full disclosure to ratepayers of the top-level assumptions used to calculate the per-project impact on customer bills; and

(2) Submit an annual report to the Public Utilities Commission.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Clean Power Alliance and one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs; Public Utilities Commission; Life of the Land; and Hawaiian Electric.

Your Committee finds that ratepayers are provided with little information regarding the assumptions and calculations used to determine monthly charges. Your Committee further finds that access to and transparency of the assumptions, methodology, and outputs of bill impact analyses can empower ratepayers, increase cost effectiveness, enable economic analysis for affordability, and assist in evaluating grid stabilizing investments. This measure seeks to provide transparent bill impact analyses that are accessible to the public.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that the bill impact analysis tool is for electric generation projects instead of electric power systems;

(2) Clarifying that the bill impact analysis shall be available for public download and amending the required contents of the bill impact analysis;

(3) Amending requirements for the bill impact analysis disclosure data;

(4) Clarifying the conditions under which an electric utility is required to update the bill impact analysis;

(5) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

(6) 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. 2497, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2497, 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