STAND. COM. REP. NO.  71-16

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2016

RE:   H.B. No. 1524

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection, to which was referred H.B. No. 1524 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish an additional form of financing for commercial and residential property owners to implement energy efficiency improvements and install renewable energy systems by:

     (1)  Establishing a Property Assessed Clean Energy Program (Program) to provide loans for renewable energy systems and energy efficiency improvements;

     (2)  Increasing a property's tax assessment to make loan payments to the Program; and

     (3)  Authorizing the issuance of revenue bonds and appropriating bond revenues to finance the Program.  

The Blue Planet Foundation, Sierra Club of Hawaii, and an individual supported this measure.  The Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, Department of Budget and Finance, Hawaii Green Infrastructure Authority, Tax Foundation of Hawaii, and Hawaii Association of Realtors provided comments.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by changing its effective date to January 1, 2075, to encourage further discussion.

     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 H.B. No. 1524, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1524, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Economic Development & Business.

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

____________________________

CHRIS LEE, Chair