| 47 | | - | SECTION 1. The legislature finds that the human-induced global climate crisis requires thoughtful but bold response on many fronts to make Hawaii communities resilient to the impacts of climate change that threaten the very survivability of these fragile islands. To avoid Hawaii losing its leadership position in meeting the future of labor, justice, and equity, the legislature embraces green new deals that focus on decarbonizing Hawaii's systems of food, energy, and transportation and sequestering carbon through systems of agriculture, waste management, and ecosystem restoration. This solid foundation finds synergies with expanded access to health, housing, and education, multiplying good jobs and ensuring justice and equity for Hawaii's citizens. The legislature also finds that as a result of pursuing its goal to reach one hundred per cent renewable energy by 2045, Hawaii now leads other states in nearly every category of renewable energy. Approximately twenty-six per cent of electricity in the State is generated from renewable energy and there are sixty utility-scale renewable energy projects feeding into the State's power grids. Notwithstanding such progress, the State continues to depend heavily upon imported petroleum for its energy needs and fall short of its ambitious renewable energy goals. The legislature additionally finds that the State must continue to support established renewable energy sources that do not create significant greenhouse gas emissions and those emerging from new technological innovations to meet the State's expansive renewable energy goals. The legislature finds that the production of clean electricity may be encouraged if government agencies, as sellers of clean electricity, are allowed to engage in intra‑governmental wheeling, in which electric power is transmitted from one agency's power of generation to the facilities of other governmental agencies over the existing transmission lines of a third-party electric public utility. The State and other government entities, such as the counties, could acquire clean electricity by purchasing it from a clean electricity project developer then transmitting it, across utility lines owned and maintained by an existing electric utility, to the government agency or another government agency. The purpose of this Act is to authorize government agencies to wheel electricity that is produced by their own facilities from renewable energy sources, subject to disallowance by the public utilities commission. SECTION 2. Chapter 269, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows: "§269- Wheeling; renewable energy; government agencies; rules. (a) A government agency may engage in wheeling of electricity produced at its own facilities from renewable sources. (b) The public utilities commission may disallow a wheeling project if the commission determines that the project is either: (1) Detrimental to an electric company; or (2) Not in the public interest. (c) The public utilities commission may through the adoption of rules pursuant to chapter 91 or a commission order implement this section. (d) For the purposes of this section, "wheeling" means transmitting electric power from one governmental agency's point of generation to the facilities of other governmental agencies over the existing transmission lines of a third-party electric public utility." SECTION 3. New statutory material is underscored. SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2050. |
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| 47 | + | SECTION 1. The legislature finds that the human-induced global climate crisis requires thoughtful but bold response on many fronts to make Hawaii communities resilient to the impacts of climate change that threaten the very survivability of these fragile islands. To avoid Hawaii losing its leadership position in meeting the future of labor, justice, and equity, the legislature embraces green new deals that focus on decarbonizing Hawaii's systems of food, energy, and transportation and sequestering carbon through systems of agriculture, waste management, and ecosystem restoration. This solid foundation finds synergies with expanded access to health, housing, and education, multiplying good jobs and ensuring justice and equity for Hawaii's citizens. The legislature also finds that as a result of pursuing its goal to reach one hundred per cent renewable energy by 2045, Hawaii now leads other states in nearly every category of renewable energy. Approximately twenty-six per cent of electricity in the State is generated from renewable energy and there are sixty utility-scale renewable energy projects feeding into the States power grids. Notwithstanding such progress, the State continues to depend heavily upon imported petroleum for its energy needs and fall short of its ambitious renewable energy goals. The legislature additionally finds that the State must continue to support established renewable energy sources that do not create significant greenhouse gas emissions and those emerging from new technological innovations to meet the States expansive renewable energy goals. The legislature finds that the production of clean electricity may be encouraged if government agencies, as sellers of clean electricity, are allowed to engage in intra-governmental wheeling, in which electric power is transmitted from one agencys power of generation to the facilities of other governmental agencies over the existing transmission lines of a third-party electric public utility. The State and other government entities, such as the counties, could acquire clean electricity by purchasing it from a clean electricity project developer then transmitting it, across utility lines owned and maintained by an existing electric utility, to the government agency or another government agency. The purpose of this Act is to authorize government agencies to wheel electricity that is produced by their own facilities from renewable energy sources, subject to disallowance by the public utilities commission. SECTION 2. Chapter 269, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows: "§269- Wheeling; renewable energy; government agencies; rules. (a) A government agency may engage in wheeling of electricity produced at its own facilities from renewable sources. (b) The public utilities commission may disallow a wheeling project if the commission determines that the project is either: (1) Detrimental to an electric company; or (2) Not in the public interest. (c) The public utilities commission shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 91 to implement this section. (d) For the purposes of this section, "wheeling" means transmitting electric power from one governmental agency's point of generation to the facilities of other governmental agencies over the existing transmission lines of a third-party electric public utility." SECTION 3. New statutory material is underscored. SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect upon its approval. INTRODUCED BY: _____________________________ |
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