# Hawaii HB 339: RELATING TO ELECTRIC UTILITIES. Hawaii HB 339, RELATING TO ELECTRIC UTILITIES., is a 2025–2026 Regular Session (Year 1) House bill sponsored by Nicole E. Lowen (Democratic); status in committee, last action 2025-02-14 (Reported from CPC (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 780) as amended in HD 2, recommending referral to FIN.) (as of 2026-10-17). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/HI-HB339-2025 - As of: 2026-10-17 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Hawaii HB 339 - State: Hawaii - Session: 2025–2026 Regular Session (Year 1) - Title: RELATING TO ELECTRIC UTILITIES. - Status: in committee - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-01-16 - Last action: 2025-02-14, Reported from CPC (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 780) as amended in HD 2, recommending referral to FIN. - Sponsor: Nicole E. Lowen (Democratic) - Cosponsors: 0 - Subjects: Public Utilities Commission, Electric Utility Companies, Acquisitions, Mergers, Consolidations, Conditions of Approval, Application Review Process, Alternative Applications, Hawaiian Electric Industries, Non-Investor-Owned Utilities, GO Bonds, Appropriation, EEP, CPC, FIN - Touches household money: no - Economic provisions PRIA read: 0 ## 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 overview No economic impacts identified for this bill. ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Nicole E. Lowen (Democratic), House ## Actions (11) - 2025-02-14: Reported from CPC (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 780) as amended in HD 2, recommending referral to FIN. (House) - 2025-02-14: 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). (House) - 2025-02-13: 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. (House) - 2025-02-11: Bill scheduled to be heard by CPC on Thursday, 02-13-25 2:00PM in House conference room 329 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE. (House) - 2025-02-04: Reported from EEP (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 90) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to CPC. (House) - 2025-02-04: Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on CPC with Representative(s) Garcia, Pierick voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Cochran, Kong, Ward excused (3). (House) - 2025-01-28: 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. (House) - 2025-01-24: Bill scheduled to be heard by EEP on Tuesday, 01-28-25 9:00AM in House conference room 325 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE. (House) - 2025-01-21: Referred to EEP, CPC, FIN, referral sheet 1 (House) - 2025-01-17: Introduced and Pass First Reading. (House) - 2025-01-16: Pending introduction. (House) ## Bill text - Bill Text: [PDF](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2025/bills/HB339_HD2_.pdf) - HB339_HD1: [HTML](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2025/bills/HB339_HD1_.HTM) - HB339_HD2: [HTML](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2025/bills/HB339_HD2_.HTM) - Original: [HTML](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2025/bills/HB339_.HTM), [PDF](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2025/bills/HB339_.PDF) ## Related bills - SB 572: RELATING TO HOUSING. (signed) - HB 431: RELATING TO HOUSING. (signed) - HB 420: RELATING TO REMEDIES. (signed) - SB 1296: RELATING TO DISASTER RECOVERY. (signed) - HB 830: RELATING TO HISTORIC PRESERVATION REVIEWS. (signed) - HB 1064: RELATING TO FIRE PROTECTION. (signed) ## Sources - [Bill Text (PDF)](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2025/bills/HB339_HD2_.pdf) - [HB339_HD1 (HTML)](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2025/bills/HB339_HD1_.HTM) - [HB339_HD2 (HTML)](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2025/bills/HB339_HD2_.HTM) - [Original (HTML)](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2025/bills/HB339_.HTM) - [Original (PDF)](https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2025/bills/HB339_.PDF) ## Related - [SB 572: RELATING TO HOUSING.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/HI-SB572-2025) - [HB 431: RELATING TO HOUSING.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/HI-HB431-2025) - [HB 420: RELATING TO REMEDIES.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/HI-HB420-2025) - [SB 1296: RELATING TO DISASTER RECOVERY.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/HI-SB1296-2025) - [HB 830: RELATING TO HISTORIC PRESERVATION REVIEWS.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/HI-HB830-2025) - [HB 1064: RELATING TO FIRE PROTECTION.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/HI-HB1064-2025) - [Hawaii bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/hawaii/bills) - [Hawaii state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/hawaii) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/HI-HB339-2025 (as of 2026-10-17).