STAND. COM. REP. NO. 942

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2005

RE: S.B. No. 1903

S.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Housing, to which was referred S.B. No. 1903 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to exempt seawater air conditioning district cooling projects from public utility regulation.

The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs and Honolulu Seawater Air Conditioning LLC submitted testimony in support of this measure. The Public Utilities Commission submitted comments.

Seawater air conditioning district cooling systems are a renewable energy technology that has the potential to help advance the State's energy policy goal of reducing fossil fuel dependency. These systems also have an additional benefit of reducing some of the electric company's peak commercial load.

Your Committee finds that because these cooling systems will not be the sole providers of a service that is essential for public health and welfare, the public utility regulation of the cooling systems is not necessary. Accordingly, this measure exempts the seawater air conditioning district cooling systems from the Public Utility Commission's regulations.

Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive changes for style, clarity, and consistency.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Housing that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1903, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1903, S.D. 1.

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

____________________________

RON MENOR, Chair