SB991 SD1

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that renewable energy projects can provide substantial and long-term benefits to the State. Development of renewable energy projects would further state policies of developing indigenous renewable energy resources and decreasing Hawaii's dependency on imported fossil fuels.

The State has sought to encourage private sector development of renewable energy projects. However, in the past, private sector companies were either unable or unwilling to expend the substantial amounts of funds needed to develop these projects. The fundamental impediment to private development of these projects has been obtaining permits for, and thereafter complying with, the diverse array of federal, state, and county land use planning, environmental, and related laws. The "Hawaii Integrated Energy Policy Report of 1991" found that the "permits and approvals that may be required for the development and siting of energy facilities ... can take up to seven years for a single project."

While permitting procedures are needed to ensure that commercial renewable energy development projects are undertaken in a manner consistent with land use, planning, environmental, and related laws, existing procedures are duplicative and lack coordination.

Renewable energy projects are often complex, large-scale projects requiring a number of permits. Legislation is needed to streamline the permitting process to provide an amount of predictability that would encourage private companies to commit the substantial amounts of capital, time, and effort necessary to develop such projects.

The purpose of this Act is to establish that it is the policy of state and county governments to provide priority handling and processing for all state and county permits required for renewable energy projects.

SECTION 2. Chapter 46, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"§46- Renewable energy projects. Agencies shall provide priority handling and processing for all state and county permits required for renewable energy projects.

For the purposes of this section, "agency" means any executive department, independent commission, board, bureau, office, or other establishment of the State or a county, or any quasi-public institution that is supported in whole or in part by state or county funds."

SECTION 3. Chapter 196, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"§196- Renewable energy projects. Agencies shall provide priority handling and processing for all state and county permits required for renewable energy projects.

SECTION 4. Section 226-18, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (c) to read as follows:

"(c) To further achieve the energy objectives, it shall be the policy of this State to:

(1) Support research and development as well as promote the use of renewable energy sources;

(2) Ensure that the combination of energy supplies and energy-saving systems is sufficient to support the demands of growth;

(3) Base decisions of least-cost supply-side and demand-side energy resource options on a comparison of their total costs and benefits when a least-cost is determined by a reasonably comprehensive, quantitative, and qualitative accounting of their long-term, direct and indirect economic, environmental, social, cultural, and public health costs and benefits;

(4) Promote all cost-effective conservation of power and fuel supplies through measures including:

(A) Development of cost-effective demand-side management programs;

(B) Education; and

(5) Ensure to the extent that new supply-side resources are needed, the development or expansion of energy systems utilizes the least-cost energy supply option and maximizes efficient technologies;

(6) Support research, development, and demonstration of energy efficiency, load management, and other demand-side management programs, practices, and technologies;

(7) Promote alternate fuels and energy efficiency by encouraging diversification of transportation modes and infrastructure;

(8) Support actions that reduce, avoid, or sequester greenhouse gases in utility, transportation, and industrial sector applications; [~~and~~]

(9) Support actions that reduce, avoid, or sequester Hawaii's greenhouse gas emissions through agriculture and forestry initiatives[.]; and

(10) Provide priority handling and processing for all state and county permits required for renewable energy projects."

SECTION 5. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 6. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	991
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2007		S.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII