STAND. COM. REP. NO. 88
Honolulu, Hawaii
RE: S.B. No. 76
S.D. 1
Honorable Colleen Hanabusa
President of the Senate
Twenty-Fourth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2007
State of Hawaii
Madam:
Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 76 entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC SCHOOL FACILITIES,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose of this measure is to require the Department of Education to develop a plan to provide for air conditioning systems in all public school facilities within the next ten years and to incorporate energy conservation initiatives in public school facilities.
Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Hawaii State Teachers Association. Testimony in opposition to this measure was submitted by the Department of Education (DOE).
Upon further review of the measure and the testimony provided, your Committee has amended the purpose of this measure to require the development and implementation of a plan for temperature reduction measures in public school facilities that incorporates energy conservation initiatives and appropriate funds for that purpose.
Your Committee finds that although Hawaii's tropical climate is ideal for outdoor recreational activities, it is not necessarily conducive to learning for public school students. Many of Hawaii's public schools are not equipped with air conditioning or other temperature reduction measures, which can make the classroom environments uncomfortable and even unbearable for students and teachers alike. Your Committee further finds that the DOE maintains a lengthy priority list of schools which need to be equipped with air conditioning systems. The DOE has begun installing air conditioning systems at the highest priority schools and currently follows energy efficiency guidelines in undertaking each project. However, according to the DOE's calculations, the funds necessary to comply with the objectives of this measure would require total funding in the neighborhood of $1,000,000,000 or $100,000,000 each year over a ten-year period. Additionally, the DOE has indicated that it does not believe air conditioning all public school facilities within the next ten years is an achievable goal.
Your Committee is mindful of the DOE's concerns, but remains committed to providing public school students with comfortable learning environments. Your Committee understands that the task of providing air conditioning to all public school facilities within the State, while incorporating energy conservation initiatives is a daunting proposition that requires a comprehensive approach to the problem.
Therefore, your Committee determines that a more realistic approach to the problem would be to develop alternative methods for reducing the temperature of classrooms. Your Committee believes that creative and innovative methods for establishing suitable classroom environments for students may be utilized, including the use of alternative energy resources, incentives for energy consumption or cost reduction, alternative materials for buildings, and other energy efficient measures. Additionally, the DOE should seek the expertise of knowledgeable individuals or firms in the development of the plan to ensure the most cost-effective and efficient methods are being used.
Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:
(1) Deleting the requirement that the DOE develop a plan to provide for air conditioning systems in all public school facilities within the next ten years and to incorporate energy conservation initiatives in public school facilities;
(2) Requiring the DOE to develop a plan to provide for temperature reduction measures in public school facilities within the State that incorporates energy conservation initiatives within a $200,000,000 budget over the next ten years;
(3) Specifying that the plan should include:
(A) The utilization of temperature reduction measures, which may include air conditioning, tinted glass for windows, thicker insulation, reflective roofing, trees or other vegetation for shade, and wooden versus glass or aluminum louvers;
(B) The incorporation of energy conservation initiatives throughout public school facilities;
(C) The use of wind, photovoltaic, hydropower, geothermal energy, ocean thermal energy conversion, and wave energy technologies;
(D) The creation of incentives for schools to reduce electrical energy consumption or costs, or both, including returning up to fifty per cent of the savings at each school to the school for its own use;
(E) The development of long-term plans to reduce usage or costs, or both, related to electricity, gas, and water, including the construction of new infrastructures;
(F) The establishment of energy reduction usage or cost goals, or both, for all public school facilities and timelines for attaining those goals; and
(G) Providing for the implementation of energy efficient lights, appliances, or other fixtures in all public school facilities;
(4) Requiring the DOE to contract with a private engineering firm, or other appropriate entity, in developing the plan; and
(5) Including an authorization for the issuance of general obligation bonds and making an appropriation of $20,000,000 per year for the fiscal biennium for the development and implementation of the plan.
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 S.B. No. 76, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 76, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Education,
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____________________________ NORMAN SAKAMOTO, Chair |
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