CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 78

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2007

RE:    H.B. No. 334

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 1

       C.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Sir and Madam:

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the House of Representatives to the amendments proposed by the Senate in H.B. No. 334, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE ISSUANCE OF SPECIAL PURPOSE REVENUE BONDS TO ASSIST SOPOGY INC., IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF RENEWABLE ENERGY,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

The purpose of this bill is to demonstrate that Hawaii can successfully use its renewable resources to generate electricity by authorizing up to $10,000,000 in special purpose revenue bonds to be issued to assist Sopogy, Inc., to establish a solar farm power plant at the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority (NELHA).

Your Committee on Conference finds that space limitations at NELHA may prevent Sopogy from securing the land needed for its solar farm project and has thus amended this bill to allow Sopogy to establish its project at suitable sites in the state other than the NELHA site.

Your Committee on Conference finds that Sopogy's solar farm power plant will move our state toward independence from petroleum products by demonstrating the viability and value of solar power as part of Hawaii's renewable energy portfolio.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 334, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 334, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

____________________________ RON MENOR, Chair	____________________________ KYLE T. YAMASHITA, Co-Chair
____________________________ SHAN S. TSUTSUI, Co-Chair	____________________________ HERMINA MORITA, Co-Chair
	____________________________ MELE CARROLL, Co-Chair