STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2136

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2356

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committees on Energy and Environment and Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 2356 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds for energy conservation and renewable energy measures that are part of the Sustainable Saunders Project at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

     Specifically, this measure appropriates funding for the University of Hawaii to finance energy conservation and renewable energy matters at Saunders Hall at the University of Hawaii in order to reduce or offset the building's energy load by an estimated thirty-nine per cent and make Saunders Hall a model of sustainability on campus and for the State.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Hawaii Energy Policy Forum and the student team working on the Sustainable Saunders Hall project at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

     Your Committees find that supporting efficient and sustainable energy initiatives supports the conservation efforts of the Legislature and the University of Hawaii administration in demonstrating how existing buildings can gain the benefit of energy, cost, and greenhouse gas reduction and improved campus facilities as a result of collaborative work between the government and private sector.  Your Committees applaud the work and commitment of the students who are inspiring and uniting the community toward positive, productive changes through the Saunders project.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Energy and Environment and Education that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2356 and recommend that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Energy and Environment and Education,

____________________________ NORMAN SAKAMOTO, Chair

____________________________ RON MENOR, Chair