Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection, to which was referred H.B. No. 1019 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to require the incorporation of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards for buildings constructed or substantially renovated with funding consisting of fifty per cent or more in state funds.

Your Committee finds that the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Building Rating System is a national consensus-based, market-driven building rating system designed to accelerate the development and implementation of green building practices. Buildings constructed or renovated using Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards have lower operating costs, higher lease rates, and happier and healthier occupants than conventionally constructed structures. Local governments own twenty-two per cent of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design projects and state and federal governments own twenty-four per cent. Incorporating these standards in building construction and renovation will allow the State access to creative engineering and design guidelines that will provide needed direction, experience, and flexibility.

Your Committee has amended this measure to specify that construction and renovation shall meet or exceed Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certified standards, as opposed to gold standards. While the life cycle cost of operating and maintaining Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design gold standard buildings is a fraction of conventional buildings, requiring Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certified standards would give the designer more options in designing buildings that are more energy and resource efficient than buildings complying with the current energy code. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certified standards are the logical next step to creating an efficient energy future for Hawaii.

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. 1019, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1019, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce.