HB 339 Hawaii House · 2025 Regular Session

RELATING TO ELECTRIC UTILITIES.

Summary

Part I: Requires the Public Utilities Commission to impose certain conditions of approval on any order approving, in whole or in part, an application for the proposed acquisition, merger, or consolidation of an electric utility company by an acquiring entity. Establishes a process to ensure that when an electric utility is subject to an application for a proposed acquisition, merger, or consolidation by a potential acquiring entity that is an investor-owned utility and seeks approval of the application from the Public Utilities Commission, it must demonstrate that it solicited bids from potential acquiring entities that operate under a non-investor-owned utility ownership model. Requires the electric utility to submit those acceptable bids concurrently with an application by a potential acquiring entity that is an investor-owned utility. Part II: Authorizes the issuance of reimbursable GO bonds for acquiring Hawaiian Electric Industries and converting it to a publicly owned utility. Authorizes the establishment of a non-bypassable electric utility conversion charge, to be deposited into the new Electric Utility Conversion Special Fund. Appropriates Funds. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD2)

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Jan 16, 2025 Last action Feb 14, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

HB339_HD1 → HB339_HD2 · 6 edits

MODERATE

The bill was substantially rewritten to transform from a defensive measure protecting Hawaii's renewable energy laws during utility takeovers into an aggressive plan to convert Hawaiian Electric Industries into a publicly owned utility. The original version focused on preventing investor-owned utilities from weakening renewable energy policies after acquisitions, while the new version authorizes the state to issue bonds and create a special fund to buy Hawaiian Electric Industries and convert it to public ownership.

Scope change

The bill's scope shifted from regulating acquisition conditions to actively facilitating the acquisition of Hawaiian Electric Industries by the state itself, changing the bill from a protective regulatory framework to an ownership transfer mechanism.

FISCAL

Added authorization for $1 billion in reimbursable general obligation bonds and a $1 billion appropriation from a new electric utility conversion special fund to finance the acquisition of Hawaiian Electric Industries.

REQUIREMENT

Added requirements for the public utilities commission to consider alternative non-investor-owned bids when investor-owned entities seek to acquire electric utilities, ensuring public ownership options are evaluated.

ELIGIBILITY

Changed the bill's focus from protecting existing renewable energy policies during takeovers to actively converting Hawaiian Electric Industries to a publicly owned utility model.

DEFINITION

Added new definitions for 'acquiring entity,' 'covered employee,' and 'non-investor-owned utility ownership model' to clarify the public ownership transition framework.

ENFORCEMENT

Added provisions requiring the acquiring entity to assume collective bargaining agreements, retain covered employees, and maintain existing power purchase agreements without renegotiation.

TIMELINE

Changed the effective date from July 1, 2025 to July 1, 3000, indicating the bill is still in draft status and not yet ready for implementation.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Feb 14, 2025

Committee

Report adopted; referred to the committee(s) on FIN as amended in HD 2 with Representative(s) Amato, Pierick voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Cochran, Matayoshi, Poepoe, Ward excused (4).

lower

Feb 14, 2025

Committee

Reported from CPC (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 780) as amended in HD 2, recommending referral to FIN.

lower

Feb 13, 2025

Lower · Passed

The committee on CPC recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 9 Ayes: Representative(s) Matayoshi, Chun, Ilagan, Ichiyama, Kong, Lowen, Marten, Tam; Ayes with reservations: Representative(s) Iwamoto; Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Pierick.

lower

Feb 4, 2025

Committee

Reported from EEP (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 90) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to CPC.

lower

Jan 28, 2025

Lower · Passed

The committee on EEP recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 4 Ayes: Representative(s) Lowen, Perruso, Kahaloa, Kusch; Ayes with reservations: none; 0 Noes: none; and 2 Excused: Representative(s) Quinlan, Ward.

lower

Jan 21, 2025

Committee

Referred to EEP, CPC, FIN, referral sheet 1

lower

Jan 17, 2025

Introduced

Introduced and Pass First Reading.

lower

Jan 16, 2025

Introduced

Pending introduction.

lower

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors