STAND. COM. REP. NO. 544

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 991

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committees on Energy and Environment and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 991 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ENERGY,"

 

beg leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to further the State's policies of developing indigenous renewable energy resources and decreasing the State's dependence on imported fossil fuels.

 

     Specifically, this measure establishes that it is the policy of state and county governments to provide priority handling and processing, and expedite action on all state and county permits required for renewable energy projects.

 

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs; Department of Land and Natural Resources; Hawaiian Electric Company, Maui Electric Company, Hawaii Electric Light Company, Hawaii Renewable Energy Alliance, Honolulu Seawater Air Conditioning, LLC; and Puna Geothermal Venture.  Testimony in opposition to this measure was submitted by the Department of Planning and Permitting of the City and County of Honolulu and Sierra Club, Hawaii Chapter.  The Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism submitted comments.

 

     Your Committees find that attempts at encouraging private sector development of renewable energy projects have not been successful primarily due to the impediments of obtaining permits and approvals.  Given the multiple laws and rules that must be complied with, including land use, planning, and environmental laws, some existing procedures are duplicative and lack coordination.

 

     Your Committees find that providing priority handling and processing of renewable energy project permits is necessary to decrease the financial and time costs that are prevalent in the existing system.  However, your Committees are concerned that expediting decisions could have an adverse impact if environmental considerations and public input opportunities are curtailed in the effort to comply with the "expedited action" requirement.

 

     This measure was amended to delete the provision requiring state and county agencies to expedite action on the permits.

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Energy and Environment and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 991, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 991, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Energy and Environment and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs,

 

____________________________

LORRAINE R. INOUYE, Chair

 

____________________________

RON MENOR, Chair