STAND. COM. REP. NO.  973-14

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2014

RE:   S.B. No. 2198

      S.D. 1

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection, to which was referred S.B. No. 2198, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO RENEWABLE FUELS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to create a Renewable Fuels Task Force within the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to perform a feasibility study on:

     (1)  Requiring locally produced renewable fuels to account for at least ten per cent of a distributor's annual sales of fuels for motor vehicles;

     (2)  Requiring a mixture of up to five percent of locally produced biofuels to be included in purchasable diesel fuels; and

     (3)  Locally produced renewable fuels that meet relevant international specifications.

The Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; Pacific Biodiesel Technologies, LLC; and the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers testified in support of this measure.  Hawaii Renewable Energy Alliance commented on this measure.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Appropriating an unspecified amount to support the functions of the Task Force; and

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

     Should the House Committees on Economic Development and Business and Finance hear this measure, your Committee respectfully requests consideration of the sum of $570,000 to support the functions of the task force.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2198, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2198, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Economic Development & Business.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection,

____________________________

CHRIS LEE, Chair