STAND. COM. REP. NO.  75-16

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2016

 

RE:   H.B. No. 2136

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection, to which was referred H.B. No. 2136 entitled:

 

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

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to support the consideration of public ownership of electric utility companies by:

 

     (1)  Authorizing the counties to operate electric utilities;

 

     (2)  Expressly allowing counties to acquire any property necessary to operate an electric public utility by eminent domain or other lawful means; and

 

     (3)  Excluding electric utilities owned and operated by a county from regulation by the Public Utilities Commission.

 

     The Sierra Club of Oahu, The Alliance for Solar Choice, and three concerned individuals supported this measure.  The Hawaiian Electric Company, Maui Electric Company, and Hawaii Electric Light Company opposed the measure.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by changing its effective date to January 28, 2981, to facilitate further discussion.

 

     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 H.B. No. 2136, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2136, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committees on Consumer Protection & Commerce and Judiciary.

 

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

CHRIS LEE, Chair