STAND. COM. REP. NO.  495

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2007

RE:   H.B. No. 644

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection, to which was referred H.B. No. 644 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO A BIOENERGY MASTER PLAN,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to create a bioenergy master plan task force that is charged with developing a bioenergy master plan for Hawaii.

     More specifically, the bill would require the task force, composed of a wide array of government, industry, educational, and agricultural groups, to obtain input from stakeholders and bioenergy professionals.  The task force would also be required to submit an interim report, and any proposed legislation, to the 2008 regular session of the legislature and a final report, together with the master plan and any proposed legislation, to the 2009 regular session of the legislature.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the University of Hawaii, Hawaiian Electric Company, and the Hawaii Energy Policy Forum.  Life of the Land submitted testimony in opposition.  The Department of Agriculture and the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism submitted testimony in support of the intent of the measure.  The State Procurement Office and the Office of Information Practices submitted comments on the measure.

     Your Committee finds that development of a bioenergy master plan is an essential component of the efforts to establish energy independence for Hawaii.  Your Committee also finds that, while the proposed task force could benefit these efforts, valuable funding should be directed to the preparation of the master plan instead of managing the needs of a task force.  The desire to engage stakeholders through a task force could be achieved more efficiently through a process of a stakeholder engagement embedded in the preparation of the master plan itself.

     Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Deleting language that would establish the bioenergy master plan task force;

     (2)  Requiring the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to develop and prepare the bioenergy master plan; and

     (3)  Increasing the appropriation for development and preparation of the bioenergy master plan from $200,000 to $500,000.

     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. 644, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 644, 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,

____________________________

HERMINA MORITA, Chair