STAND. COM. REP. NO. 208

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 1303

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committees on Energy and Environment and Economic Development and Technology, to which was referred S.B. No. 1303 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ENERGY INDEPENDENCE,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to create an energy initiative that will establish Hawaii as one of the principal leaders in research, commercialization, and application of new ground-based and space-based energy technologies.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by one private organization and one individual.  Testimony supporting the intent of the measure was submitted by one private organization.  Testimony in opposition to the measure was submitted by one state agency and one private organization.  Comments were submitted by one individual.  Copies of written testimony are available for review on the Legislature's website.

     Your Committees find that this measure would complement the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative by establishing a government-industry consortium that would seek federal and private industry research and development funds and other resources for renewable energy technology.  Additionally, your Committees also find that this measure would encourage new investment in Hawaii, creating more jobs with better pay for our residents.

     Your Committees have amended this measure by deleting the specific funding amounts in order to encourage further discussion.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Energy and Environment and Economic Development and Technology that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1303, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1303, S.D. 1, 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 Economic Development and Technology,

____________________________ CAROL FUKUNAGA, Chair

____________________________ MIKE GABBARD, Chair