REPORT TITLE:
Utility Transmission Lines


DESCRIPTION:
Requires that 46 kilovolt or greater transmission lines in
residential areas, areas viewed by visitors, or areas important
to the film industry be buried underground.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                            380         
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES                H.B. NO.           
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 1999                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                   A  BILL  FOR  AN  ACT

RELATING TO PUBLIC UTILITIES. 


BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 1      SECTION 1.  Section 269-27.6, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
 
 2 amended by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:
 
 3      "(a)  Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, whenever a
 
 4 public utility applies to the public utilities commission for
 
 5 approval to place, construct, erect, or otherwise build a new
 
 6 forty-six kilovolt or greater high-voltage electric transmission
 
 7 system, either above or below the surface of the ground, the
 
 8 public utilities commission shall determine whether the electric
 
 9 transmission system shall be placed, constructed, erected, or
 
10 built above or below the surface of the ground; provided that in
 
11 its determination, the public utilities commission shall
 
12 consider:
 
13      (1)  Whether a benefit exists that outweighs the costs of
 
14           placing the electric transmission system underground;
 
15      (2)  Whether there is a governmental public policy requiring
 
16           the electric transmission system to be placed,
 
17           constructed, erected, or built underground, and the
 
18           governmental agency establishing the policy commits
 
19           funds for the additional costs of undergrounding;
 

 
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                                     H.B. NO.           
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1      (3)  Whether any governmental agency or other parties are
 
 2           willing to pay for the additional costs of
 
 3           undergrounding;
 
 4      (4)  The recommendation of the division of consumer advocacy
 
 5           of the department of commerce and consumer affairs,
 
 6           which shall be based on an evaluation of the factors
 
 7           set forth under this subsection; and
 
 8      (5)  Any other relevant factors[.]; and
 
 9 provided further that any new forty-six kilovolt or greater
 
10 high-voltage electric transmission system in residentially-zoned
 
11 areas, areas viewed by visitors, or areas important to the film
 
12 industry shall be located underground and insulated against
 
13 electro-magnetic field emissions."
 
14      SECTION 2.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed.
 
15 New statutory material is underscored.
 
16      SECTION 3.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval.
 
17 
 
18                           INTRODUCED BY:_________________________