Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Water, Land, and Agriculture and Energy and Environment, to which was referred H.B. No. 604 entitled:

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to authorize counties to permit solar energy facilities in State Land Use Agricultural Districts.

Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Land Use Commission; Hawaiian Electric Company, Inc.; and the Hawaii Renewable Energy Alliance. Testimony in support of the intent of the measure was submitted by the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, and the Hawaii Association of Realtors.

Your Committees find that wind machines and wind farms that are compatible with agricultural uses and cause minimal adverse impact on agricultural land, already are permissible uses in agricultural districts. Your Committees believe that solar energy facilities meeting those criteria should be treated the same and that including such use in agricultural districts would be consistent with existing law.

Your Committees also find that solar energy facilities may hold some advantages over wind energy facilities. For example, solar facilities can be expected to have less visual impacts than wind machines and farms, and would not necessarily preclude the return of the land to agricultural uses should the need ever arise.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Water, Land, and Agriculture and Energy and Environment that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 604, and recommend that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Transportation, Military Affairs, and Government Operations.