Report Title:

Renewable Energy Resources

Description:

Permitting an eligible customer-generator of an electric utility to produce electrical energy by ocean energy and permitting an increase in the amount of energy an eligible customer-generator may generate.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

1749

TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2004

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

RELATING TO RENEWABLE ENERGY RESOURCES.

 

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

SECTION 1. Act 272, Regular Session of 2001, established goals for electric utility companies in implementing renewable portfolio standards by including a minimum percentage of renewable energy resources within an overall resource portfolio and enabling qualified customer-generators to utilize net energy metering.

Presently, Marine Corps Base Hawaii at Kaneohe Bay is installing an energy generating ocean buoy facility to generate electricity from wave energy. It is anticipated that upon full development of this facility the maximum energy generated may equal six hundred kilowatts generating capacity. The purpose of this Act is to ensure that wave energy generating facilities presently being developed qualify for net energy metering and to increase the capacity that an eligible customer-generator can produce.

SECTION 2. Section 269-101, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

"[[]§269-101[]] Definitions. As used in this part:

"Eligible customer-generator" means a metered residential or commercial or governmental agency, including any federal, state or county agency, or department customer of an electric utility who owns and operates a solar, ocean, wind turbine, biomass, or hydroelectric energy generating facility, or a hybrid system consisting of two or more of these facilities, with a capacity of not more than [ten] one hundred kilowatts, that is:

(1) Located on the customer's premises;

(2) Operated in parallel with the utility's transmission and distribution facilities;

(3) In conformance with the utility's interconnection requirements; and

(4) Intended primarily to offset part or all of the customer's own electrical requirements.

"Net energy metering" means measuring the difference between the electricity supplied through the electric grid and the electricity generated by an eligible customer-generator and fed back to the electric grid over a monthly billing period; provided that:

(1) Net energy metering shall be accomplished using a single meter capable of registering the flow of electricity in two directions;

(2) An additional meter or meters to monitor the flow of electricity in each direction may be installed with the consent of the customer-generator, at the expense of the electric utility, and the additional metering shall be used only to provide the information necessary to accurately bill or credit the customer-generator[,] or to collect solar, ocean, wind turbine, biomass, or hydroelectric energy generating system performance information for research purposes;

(3) If the existing electrical meter of an eligible customer-generator is not capable of measuring the flow of electricity in two directions, the electric utility shall be responsible for all expenses involved in purchasing and installing a meter that is able to measure electricity flow in two directions;

(4) If an additional meter or meters are installed, the net energy metering calculation shall yield a result identical to that of a single meter; and

(5) An eligible customer-generator who already owns an existing solar, ocean, wind turbine, biomass, or hydroelectric energy generating facility, or a hybrid system consisting of two or more of these facilities, is eligible to receive net energy metering service in accordance with this part."

SECTION 3. Section 269-111, Hawaii Revised Statute, is amended to read as follows:

"[[]§269-111[]] Safety and performance standards. A solar, ocean, wind turbine, biomass, or hydroelectric energy generating system, or a hybrid system consisting of two or more of these facilities, used by an eligible customer-generator shall meet all applicable safety and performance standards established by the National Electrical Code, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and accredited testing laboratories such as the Underwriters Laboratories and, where applicable, rules of the public utilities commission regarding safety and reliability. An eligible customer-generator whose solar, ocean, wind turbine, biomass, or hydroelectric energy generating system, or whose hybrid system consisting of two or more of these facilities, meets those standards and rules shall not be required to install additional controls, perform or pay for additional tests, or purchase additional liability insurance."

SECTION 4. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 5. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:

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