HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.C.R. NO.

246

TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2004

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 
   


HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

EXPRESSING the support of the legislature for the development of a kalina cycle ocean thermal energy conversion plant at the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority on the island of hawaii by ocean engineering and energy SYSTEMS, inc.

 

 

WHEREAS, Hawaii's energy needs are more than ninety per cent dependent on imported fossil fuels, the majority of which is foreign oil; and

WHEREAS, the Legislature finds that the use of renewable energy resources will reduce this dependence on imported fossil fuel and the environmental impacts associated with burning fossil fuel; and

WHEREAS, the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority was created to develop indigenous renewable energy resources and related industries such as aquaculture; and

WHEREAS, Ocean Engineering and Energy Systems, Inc., and its partner Recurrent Resources Engineering, Inc., have a preliminary design for a Kalina Cycle ocean thermal energy conversion plant at the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority; and

WHEREAS, the Kalina Cycle is a thermal-to-mechanical energy conversion process that is able to convert relatively low temperature heat into useful mechanical energy at better efficiencies than other types of heat engines; and

WHEREAS, the Kalina Cycle engine is at least ten per cent more efficient than other heat engines, is simple in design, and can use readily-available, off-the-shelf components; and

WHEREAS, existing Kalina Cycle plants include bottoming cycle for fossil fueled and geothermal power plants and combined heat and power generation systems which have several years of excellent operational history; and

WHEREAS, the energy required to pump cold water to upstream users and to supply the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority's other electric power demands can be supplied by a Kalina Cycle ocean thermal energy conversion plant, thereby saving more than 1.2 megawatts of power; and

WHEREAS, the ocean thermal energy conversion plant at the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority will be designed for continuous operation and will avoid the intermittent operation associated with most renewable energy systems, such as wind, photovoltaics, and direct solar; and

WHEREAS, it will be the first economically viable, commercial scale ocean thermal energy conversion plant in the world and promises to be the beginning of a new trend for Hawaii in the global economy; and

WHEREAS, the Kalina Cycle ocean thermal energy conversion plant may have the ability to meet the State's renewable energy goal of twenty per cent by 2020; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2004, the Senate concurring, that the Legislature expresses its support for the development of a Kalina Cycle ocean thermal energy conversion plant at the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority on the Island of Hawaii by Ocean Engineering and Energy Systems, Inc., to help the State achieve its goals of increasing energy efficiency, decreasing reliance on fossil fuels, and shifting to an efficient and reliable renewable energy source; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority and the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, assisted by Ocean Engineering and Energy Systems, Inc., are requested to evaluate the feasibility of using a Kalina Cycle ocean thermal energy conversion plant at the Natural Energy Laboratory at Hawaii Authority on the Island of Hawaii; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the evaluation is requested to identify:

(1) Any concerns that the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority and its tenants may have to an ocean thermal energy conversion plant at the Laboratory;

(2) Ways to address or mitigate these concerns;

(3) Any competing ocean thermal energy conversion plant technologies and developers and the status of these technologies and developments; and

(4) Costs and availability of competing conventional and renewable energy power sources; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that if the evaluation determines that a Kalina Cycle ocean thermal energy conversion plant provides life-cycle benefits that exceed total costs, including but not limited to environmental benefits, the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority is requested to consider this system as a preferred power generation system for use at the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the findings of this evaluation are requested to be provided to the Legislature at least twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2005; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to members of Hawaii's congressional delegation; the Governor; the Executive Director of the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority; the Director of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; the Mayor of the County of Hawaii; and the President of Ocean Engineering and Energy Systems, Inc.

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Kalina Cycle; Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion Plant; NELHA