STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1209

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 1351

       H.D. 2

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Water, Land, Agriculture, and Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 1351, H.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PRIVATE AGRICULTURAL PARKS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to encourage owners of neighboring agricultural lands to enter into cooperative private agreements to reduce the shared costs of generating and transmitting electrical energy, cold water for refrigeration and cooling, and nonpotable water for irrigation.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by one county agency and two organizations.  Testimony in opposition was submitted by one state agency and one organization.  Written testimony presented to your Committee may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

     Your Committee finds that providing agricultural producers an opportunity to reduce the cost of production will support the sustainability of Hawaii's agricultural industry.  The cost of electrical power would be reduced for pumping water for agricultural purposes, or for crop production and processing operations within an agricultural park, if electrical power generated within an agricultural park by independent power producers of renewable energy, like a windmill, could be transmitted across property boundaries within an agricultural park, without connecting to the general utility grid.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by making changes to streamline the process of establishing a private agricultural park.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water, Land, Agriculture, and Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1351, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1351, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water, Land, Agriculture, and Hawaiian Affairs,

____________________________

CLAYTON HEE, Chair