THE SENATE	S.C.R. NO.	161
TWENTY-SIXTH LEGISLATURE, 2011
STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

requesting the establishment of an energy preservation and development policy to guide the expansion of geothermal energy USE on the COUNTY OF HAWAII.

     WHEREAS, the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative aims to meet seventy percent of the State's energy needs through renewable resources by 2030; and

     WHEREAS, technology advances make geothermal energy not only feasible, but a top source of renewable energy; and

     WHEREAS, geothermal energy is a more reliable source of energy than solar or wind energy, because when the wind does not blow and the sun does not shine, the heat from the volcano continues to produce a steady flow of power; and

     WHEREAS, Hawaii's ratio of renewable energy generation (ten percent) to fossil fuel generation (ninety percent) ranks third in the nation; and

     WHEREAS, the United States Department of Energy has indicated that Hawaii is one of the best positioned states for renewable energy potential; and

     WHEREAS, geothermal energy is efficient, stable, and has long-term viability to help Hawaii meet its 2030 energy goals, reduce its contribution to global warming, and create a sustainable energy market; and

     WHEREAS, Hawaii needs a sustainable energy market that strikes a balance between economic, community, and environmental priorities; and

     WHEREAS, Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 99 (2010) established a working group charged with the duty of analyzing the potential development of geothermal energy as the primary energy source to meet the baseload demand for electricity on the Big Island; and

     WHEREAS, the Geothermal Working Group recommended that Hawaii's legislators:

     (1)  Fund research and field work to catalog geothermal energy resources available on the Big Island;

     (2)  Authorize a legislative agenda item to reconsider how the royalties from geothermal production are distributed to the State, county, and neighborhoods that border geothermal plants;

     (3)  Designate geothermal funds for programs that benefit local communities and that further develop the resource; and

     (4)  Make a highly-efficient, non-fossil energy future a top priority; and

     WHEREAS, the County of Hawaii should now consider the implementation of policies and practices recommended by the Geothermal Working Group; now, therefore,

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-sixth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2011, the House of Representatives concurring, that the County of Hawaii is requested to establish an Energy Preservation and Development Policy to guide the expansion of geothermal energy use in the County of Hawaii; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the County of Hawaii is requested to grant the Public Utilities Commission the authority to publicly review and comment on all contracts, agreements, and policies concerning the expansion, reconfiguration, or use of geothermal energy in the County of Hawaii; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the County of Hawaii is requested to submit its written findings and policy recommendations to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2012; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Governor, Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources, Director of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Mayor of Hawaii County, Hawaii Island Economic Development Board, Inc., Public Utilities Commission, Hawaii Electric Light Company, and Big Island Labor Alliance.

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title: 

Geothermal Energy Policy; County of Hawaii