STAND. COM. REP. NO.  577-16

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2016

 

RE:   H.B. No. 2569

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 2569, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ENERGY,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to:

 

     (1)  Accelerate the goals of the Department of Education (Department) to cool Hawaii's schools, reduce energy costs, meet Hawaii's clean energy goals, and provide all students with better classrooms in which to learn by, among other things:

 

          (A)  Requiring the Department to establish a goal of becoming net-zero with respect to energy use by January 1, 2035;

 

          (B)  Requiring the Department to establish in each county at least one microgrid pilot project at public schools that also serve as emergency shelters; and

 

          (C)  Requiring the Department to expedite the cooling of all public school classrooms to a temperature acceptable for student learning; and

 

     (2)  Authorize the issuance of general obligation bonds and the use of funds from the Green Infrastructure Loan Program to implement cooling measures in public school classrooms.

 

     Pursuant to requirements set forth in Article VII, Section 9, of the Hawaii State Constitution, the Governor, in Governor's Message No. 8 to the Legislature, requested immediate consideration and passage of this bill by the Legislature to finance energy efficiency and heat abatement initiatives within the Department of Education.

 

     The Department of Education; Department of Budget and Finance; Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; Hawaii Green Infrastructure Authority; and Aikea Movement supported this measure.  The Hawaii State Teachers Association supported this measure and provided amendments.  The Hawaii Emergency Management Agency supported the intent of this measure.  A concerned individual provided comments.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2569, H.D. 1, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance.

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

____________________________

ROY M. TAKUMI, Chair