STAND. COM. REP. NO. 592-12
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2012
RE: H.B. No. 2121
H.D. 1
Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twenty-Sixth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2012
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection, to which was referred H.B. No. 2121 entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO RENEWABLE ENERGY,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose of this measure is to promote the government's use of renewable energy technologies by:
(1) Prohibiting government agencies from contracting with private energy providers that claim the renewable energy technologies tax credit; and
(2) Authorizing the issuance of general obligation bonds to purchase renewable energy systems for state facilities.
Your Committee has amended this measure by:
(1) Deleting the sum of the general obligation bonds that the director of finance is authorized to issue;
(2) Changing the effective date to January 1, 2013;
(3) Clarifying that the purpose of this measure is to ensure the cost effectiveness of renewable energy technology projects; and
(4) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.
Your Committee notes that despite negative testimony on this measure, it has value to the State. The State is currently investing 24.5 per cent on each of the projects that receive the renewable energy tax credit, which the testimony does not address. These projects may not be paying for themselves and may not ever produce a reasonable return on investment. Your Committee believes that by removing the state tax credit, the projects will be forced to stand on their own merits and with the existing federal tax credits.
As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2121, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2121, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection,
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____________________________ DENNY COFFMAN, Chair |
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