THE SENATE

S.C.R. NO.

180

TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2004

S.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

H.D. 1

   


SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

The Public Utilities Commission is requested to explore HOW TO implement the concept of intra-governmental wheeling to facilitate government wheeling of electricity.

 

 

WHEREAS, the legislature finds that Hawaii relies on imported oil to meet over ninety per cent of the State's energy needs, leaving Hawaii critically vulnerable to supply interruptions and oil price volatility; and

WHEREAS, there is a need to take bold action to chart a progressive energy strategy for the State which should include the integration of Hawaii’s indigenous renewable energy resources in electricity production to promote economic stability, enhance energy security, and demonstrate environmental stewardship; and

WHEREAS, while programs like the renewable energy income tax credit and the building of new power generation facilities by electric utilities may incur direct and indirect costs to the taxpayer or ratepayer, there are many other strategies that may have an insignificant or no impact on the taxpayer or ratepayer; and

WHEREAS, retail wheeling is defined as the process of transmitting electric power from a seller’s point of generation across a third-party-owned transmission and distribution systems to the seller’s retail customer; and

WHEREAS, renewable energy production could be encouraged if government agencies, as renewable energy producers (sellers), are allowed to transmit electricity to other governmental facilities (retail customer), over existing transmission lines of an electric public utility, which can be described as "intra-governmental wheeling"; and

WHEREAS, "intra-governmental wheeling" can be further defined as using the concept of retail wheeling between:

(1) Two or more county government agencies located on the same island;

(2) Two or more state government agencies located on the same island; or

(3) Two or more federal government agencies located on the same island.

WHEREAS, government agency or government agencies can mean any federal, state, or county department, commission, board, bureau, office, or other government establishment, or any quasi-public institution that is supported in whole or in part by government funds.

BE IT RESOLVED that the Public Utilities Commission is requested to explore how to implement the concept of intra-governmental wheeling to facilitate government wheeling of electricity and other regulatory measures to support the development of renewable energy systems by federal, state, and county agencies; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Chair of the Public Utilities Commission.

 

 

 

 

 

Report Title:

The Public Utilities Commission is requested to explore and implement the concept of intra-governmental wheeling to facilitate government wheeling of electricity