STAND. COM. REP. NO.  225

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2017

RE:   H.B. No. 1294

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection, to which was referred H.B. No. 1294 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to prohibit open-door air conditioning in commercial buildings or structures and to direct the State Building Code Council to create energy codes and standards for new commercial construction that will avoid open-door air conditioning in the future.

The Blue Planet Foundation, Hawaii Energy, and numerous individuals supported this measure. The Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism and Retail Merchants of Hawaii opposed this measure.  Life of the Land provided comments.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by deleting the substance of this bill and replacing it with language establishing a task force to be headed by the Director of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism.  The purpose of this new energy efficiency task force is to make recommendations on energy efficiency proposals and standards to ensure energy cost savings to all rate payers.

     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. 1294, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1294, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Housing.

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

____________________________

CHRIS LEE, Chair