Bill Text: HI HB2291 | 2016 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Geothermal Resources Exploration; Drilling; County Authority; Renewable Energy; Solar and Wind Energy Property; Tax Credit
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Enrolled - Dead) 2016-04-28 - Conference Committee Meeting will reconvene on Friday 04-29-16 4:10PM in conference room 225. [HB2291 Detail]
Download: Hawaii-2016-HB2291-Amended.html
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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
H.B. NO. |
2291 |
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TWENTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE, 2016 |
H.D. 1 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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A BILL FOR AN ACT
RELATING TO RENEWABLE ENERGY.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
SECTION 1. The purpose of this Act is to amend the definition of renewable portfolio standard to more accurately reflect the percentage of renewable energy penetration in the State. This amendment is being done in line with Act 97, Session Laws of Hawaii 2015, which established a 100 per cent renewable portfolio standard goal by 2045 and the statutory intent to transition the State away from imported fuels and toward renewable local resources that provide a secure source of affordable energy. This is accomplished by amending the renewable portfolio standard calculation to be based on electrical energy generation as opposed to electrical energy sales. Failure to address this accounting error means that the current renewable portfolio standard calculation (renewable energy divided by total electricity sales) would overestimate the amount of renewable energy serving Hawaii's electric utility customers. There are two fundamental issues that lead to the current discrepancy: (1) the current renewable portfolio standard calculation inflates the reported percentage of renewable energy by excluding renewables from customer-sited, grid-connected renewable energy generation in the denominator, which becomes material with higher levels of customer-sited, grid-connected renewable energy generation and higher renewable portfolio standard percentages; and (2) the current electrical energy sales number does not include energy losses that occur between the points of electrical energy generation and the customer meter where sales are measured. Failure to address these issues would create the incorrect public perception of the State's progress towards its one hundred per cent renewable energy statutory goal.
SECTION 2. Section 269-91, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by:
1. Adding a new definition of "grid-connected" to read as follows:
""Grid-connected" means interconnected to the Hawaii electric system under an existing standard or rule approved by the public utilities commission; provided that this will not apply where the generation is used exclusively for emergency service in case of failure of the normal supply from the Hawaii electric system. As used in this definition, "interconnection" and "Hawaii electric system" have the same meaning as in section 269-141."
2. Amending the definition of "renewable portfolio standard" to read as follows:
""Renewable
portfolio standard" means the percentage of [electrical energy sales
that is represented by renewable electrical energy.] total renewable
electrical energy generated from grid-connected renewable energy systems to the
total electrical energy generated from grid-connected energy systems; provided
that "renewable energy system" has the same meaning as that term is
defined in section 269-1."
SECTION 3. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.
SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.
Report Title:
Renewable Portfolio Standard; Definition
Description:
Amends the "renewable portfolio standard" definition to more accurately reflect the amount of renewable energy generation in Hawaii by amending the renewable portfolio standard calculation to be based on total renewable electrical energy generated from grid-connected renewable energy systems to the total electrical energy generated from grid-connected energy systems. (HB2291 HD1)
The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.
