STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2060

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2623

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 S.B. No. 2623 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO RENEWABLE ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to broaden the application of the State's renewable energy technologies income tax credit to include solar electric energy systems and solar thermal energy systems as qualifying for the tax credit.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; Hawaii Energy Policy Forum; and Sopogy, Inc.  Comments were received from the Department of Taxation and Tax Foundation of Hawaii.

     Your Committee finds that this measure serves to reduce Hawaii's dependence on fossil fuels.  The intent of this measure is to promote energy conservation and alternative energy production by expanding the type of solar energy systems that qualify for the tax credit.

     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 S.B. No. 2623 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Economic Development and Taxation.

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

____________________________

RON MENOR, Chair