Report Title:

Renewable Energy Portfolio Standards

Description:

Allows the public utilities commission to establish standards that prescribe what portion of the renewable energy standards are to be met by specific types of resources; provided that at least 50% of the renewable portfolio standards are met by electrical energy produced by wind, solar energy, hydropower, landfill gas, waste to energy, geothermal resources, ocean thermal conversion, wave energy, biomass, including municipal solid waste, biofuels, or fuels derived from renewable energy, or fuel cells where the fuel is derived from renewable sources. (HB3053 HD1)

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

3053

TWENTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2006

H.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

 


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

relating to renewable energy.

 

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

SECTION 1. Section 269-91, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending the definition of "renewable energy" to read as follows:

""Renewable energy" means electrical energy produced by wind, solar energy, hydropower, landfill gas, waste to energy, geothermal resources, ocean thermal energy conversion, wave energy, biomass, including municipal solid waste, biofuels, or fuels derived from organic sources, hydrogen fuels derived from renewable energy, or fuel cells where the fuel is derived from renewable sources. Where biofuels, hydrogen, or fuel cell fuels are produced by a combination of renewable and nonrenewable means, the proportion attributable to the renewable means shall be credited as renewable energy. Where fossil and renewable fuels are co-fired in the same generating unit, the unit shall be considered to produce renewable electricity in direct proportion to the percentage of the total heat value represented by the heat value of the renewable fuels. ["Renewable] In the absence of an energy efficiency portfolio standard, "renewable energy" also means electrical energy savings brought about by the use of solar and heat pump water heating, seawater air-conditioning district cooling systems, solar air-conditioning and ice storage, quantifiable energy conservation measures, use of rejected heat from co-generation and combined heat and power systems excluding fossil-fueled qualifying facilities that sell electricity to electric utility companies, and central station power projects."

SECTION 2. Section 269-92, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

"§269-92 Renewable portfolio standards. (a) Each electric utility company that sells electricity for consumption in the State shall establish a renewable portfolio standard of:

(1) Seven per cent of its net electricity sales by December 31, 2003;

(2) Eight per cent of its net electricity sales by December 31, 2005;

(3) Ten per cent of its net electricity sales by December 31, 2010;

(4) Fifteen per cent of its net electricity sales by December 31, 2015; and

(5) Twenty per cent of its net electricity sales by December 31, 2020.

(b) The public utilities commission may establish standards for each utility that prescribe what portion of the renewable energy standards shall be met by specific types of resources; provided that at least fifty per cent of the renewable portfolio standards shall be met by electrical energy produced by wind, solar energy, hydropower, landfill gas, waste to energy, geothermal resources, ocean thermal conversion, wave energy, biomass, including municipal solid waste, biofuels, or fuels derived from renewable energy, or fuel cells where the fuel is derived from renewable sources.

(c) The public utilities commission shall determine if an electric utility company is unable to meet the renewable portfolio standards in a cost-effective manner, or as a result of circumstances beyond its control which could not have been reasonably anticipated or ameliorated. If this determination is made, the electric utility company shall be relieved of responsibility for meeting the renewable portfolio standard for the period of time that it is unable to meet the standard."

SECTION 3. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2020.