STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3068

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 2416

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Transportation and Energy, to which was referred H.B. No. 2416 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to repeal chapter 201N, Hawaii Revised Statutes, relating to the renewable energy facility siting process.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism and the Office of the Auditor.

     Your Committee finds that chapter 201N, Hawaii Revised Statutes, should be repealed due to lack of implementation.  According to the Auditor's Report No. 14-13, no project has completed the siting process and the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism has not implemented a siting process program.  The Auditor also reported that the renewable energy facility siting special fund, created pursuant to Act 207, Session Laws of Hawaii 2008, for the purpose of funding the operation and administration of the renewable energy facility siting process, maintained a balance of $0 from the beginning of fiscal year 2009–2010, to the end of fiscal year 2013–2014, and has not demonstrated the capacity to be self-sustaining.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Transportation and Energy that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2416, and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

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LORRAINE R. INOUYE, Chair