STAND. COM. REP. NO. 824

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2005

RE: H.B. No. 1707

H.D. 2

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce, to which was referred H.B. No. 1707, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE SEAWATER AIR CONDITIONING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to exempt seawater air conditioning district cooling systems from Public Utilities Commission (PUC) regulation, provided that at least 50 percent of the energy for the system is provided by a renewable energy resource.

Testimony in support of this bill was received from the Division of Consumer Advocacy of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs and Honolulu Seawater Air Conditioning, LLC.

PUC commented.

Your Committee finds that seawater air conditioning projects can help advance our State's energy policy goal of reducing dependence on fossil fuels. The use of cold seawater to air condition buildings not only reduces fossil fuel-generated energy consumption, but also reduces the demand for electricity during peak-use hours, and thus the need for additional fossil fuel generating plants to satisfy peak-use demand.

 

Your Committee has amended this bill by:

(1) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2099, in the interest of promoting additional dialogue on concerns arising in the public hearing; and

(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1707, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1707, H.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce,

 

____________________________

KENNETH HIRAKI, Chair