STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1426

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2011

 

RE:   S.B. No. 631

      S.D. 1

      H.D. 2

 

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Agriculture, to which was referred S.B. No. 631, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO RENEWABLE ENERGY,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this bill is to allow solar energy facilities to be placed on agricultural lands with soil classified as overall (master) productivity rating class B or C, subject to certain restrictions.

 

     The Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism and several concerned individuals supported this bill.  The Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Department of Agriculture, and the Office of Planning submitted comments.

 

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

 

     (1)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2020, to encourage further discussion; and

 

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for style, clarity, and consistency.

 


     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Agriculture that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 631, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 631, S.D. 1, H.D. 2.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Agriculture,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

CLIFT TSUJI, Chair