STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2312

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2844

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. 2844 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ENERGY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds to establish a full-time, permanent renewable energy facilitator position in the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; Castle & Cooke Hawaii; the Hawaii Renewable Energy Alliance; and the Hawaii Solar Energy Association.

     Your Committee finds that an investment in additional personnel will be useful in streamlining the permitting process, which would encourage private companies to commit the capital, time, and effort necessary to develop renewable energy projects.

     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. 2844 and recommends that it pass Second Reading 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