STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3052

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 2003

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Energy and Environment, to which was referred H.B. No. 2003 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HAWAII ENERGY POLICY FORUM,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to plan for a preferred energy future for Hawaii by allowing the Hawaii Energy Policy Forum (Forum) to continue its work in implementing the vision, concepts, and recommendations of the updated Ten Point Plan to meet Hawaii's energy goals.

     Specifically, this measure appropriates funds for the Forum to continue its work in developing smart energy solutions through an action plan that identifies specific areas of interest on which the Forum will focus.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Director of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; Director of the Division of Consumer Advocacy, Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs; Hawai‘i County Council; Hawaiian Electric Company, Inc. and its subsidiary utilities, Maui Electric Company, Ltd. and Hawaii Electric Light Company, Inc.; Hawaii Energy Policy Forum; and the Hawaii Solar Energy Association.  Comments were submitted by the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

     Your Committee finds that the Forum has made considerable progress to date and continued support is necessary to allow for the implementation of detailed actions plans, discussion and study of related issues, and promotion of greater community awareness of energy issues.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by adding the contents of H.B. No. 2004, H.D. 2, which also appropriates funds to the Forum for the purpose of working with the Energy-Efficient Transportation Strategies Working Group created by Act 254, Session Laws of Hawaii 2007, to develop energy-efficient transportation strategies.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Energy and Environment that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2003, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2003, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Energy and Environment,

____________________________

RON MENOR, Chair