STAND. COM. REP. NO. 127

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 1244

       S.D. 1

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Energy and Environment, to which was referred S.B. No. 1244 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO BIOFUELS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to modify the renewable energy facility siting process by reducing the capacity required for a biofuel production facility to qualify for the renewable energy siting process and by including biofuel distribution infrastructure among the types of facilities that qualify.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from Richard Lim, Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; and Joel K. Matsunaga, Hawaii BioEnergy, LLC.

     Your Committee recognizes that small scale and biofuel pilot projects are precursors to the large scale commercial projects that are necessary to reduce the State's dependence on fossil fuels and that these smaller projects should receive the expedited permitting currently allowed for their larger counterparts.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

     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. 1244, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1244, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection.

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

____________________________

MIKE GABBARD, Chair