CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 26
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2011
RE: S.B. No. 181
S.D. 1
H.D. 1
C.D. 1
Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui
President of the Senate
Twenty-Sixth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2011
State of Hawaii
Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twenty-Sixth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2011
State of Hawaii
Sirs:
Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 181, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PHOTOVOLTAIC-READY NEW RESIDENTIAL HOMES,"
having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.
The purpose of this measure is to establish a working group attached to the Department of Accounting and General Services to study the feasibility of requiring new single-family residential construction to provide accommodations for the addition of photovoltaic systems.
Your Committee on Conference finds that the installation of photovoltaic systems on existing homes can be hindered by design features that were incorporated at the time of initial construction of the homes. A requirement for new single-family residential construction to provide accommodations for the addition of photovoltaic systems would facilitate widespread adoption of photovoltaic systems in the future and optimize future gains from solar technology. This would result in reduced energy demand on the grid, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, and reduced dependency on imported fossil fuels. Such a requirement, however, may not be practical in all situations, and an all-encompassing mandate may be inappropriate at this time. Therefore, a thorough study of the feasibility of such a requirement is preferable at this juncture.
Your Committee on Conference recognizes that the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism is more thoroughly involved in the field of renewable energy than the Department of Accounting and General Services and that certain areas in the State may have easier access to various forms of renewable energy aside from solar energy.
Accordingly, your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:
(1) Replacing the Department of Accounting and General Services with the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism as the agency to which the working group is administratively attached;
(2) Deleting the Comptroller or Comptroller's designee from the list of working group members;
(3) Directing the working group to identify areas in the State where the use of photovoltaic systems would be impractical or where other renewable energy resources are more readily available; and
(4) Changing the effective date to upon approval.
As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 181, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 181, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, C.D. 1.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:
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ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE |
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ON THE PART OF THE SENATE |
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____________________________ DENNY COFFMAN, Co-Chair |
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______________________________ MIKE GABBARD, Chair |
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____________________________ PONO CHONG, Co-Chair |
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______________________________ DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Co-Chair |
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____________________________ JERRY L. CHANG, Co-Chair |
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______________________________ WILL ESPERO, Co-Chair |
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____________________________ ROBERT N. HERKES, Co-Chair |
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