STAND. COM. REP. NO. 173

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 243

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Energy, Economic Development, and Tourism, to which was referred S.B. No. 243 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:

(1) Require the Governor; Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; and the Hawaii State Energy Office to develop a strategic plan that outlines benchmarks to achieve a one hundred percent renewable energy portfolio standard and appropriate funds for its development;

(2) Require the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to submit the strategic plan to the Legislature before the Regular Session of 2023; and

(3) Require the Hawaii Natural Energy Institute to conduct a feasibility study on the State's ability to achieve its renewable energy goals by 2045.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii State Energy Office, Hawaii Natural Energy Institute of the University of Hawaii, Ulupono Initiative, Hawaii Auto Dealers Association, and two individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Life of the Land.

Your Committee finds that it is important to develop a strategic plan that establishes benchmarks to achieve a one hundred percent renewable energy portfolio standard and to establish a zero emissions clean economy target to sequester more atmospheric carbon and greenhouse gasses. Your Committee further finds that because the energy environment continues to evolve, it is important that the strategic plan and a feasibility study required by this measure should be aligned in order to more effectively meet these benchmarks.

Your Committee also finds that because the feasibility study, which examines the State's ability to achieve its energy goals, will be prepared by the Hawaii Natural Energy Institute, it is in a unique position to develop the strategic plan. This will allow the Hawaii Natural Energy Institute to incorporate its analyses into the overall development of a strategic plan and provide key intermediate benchmarks to help the State achieve a one hundred percent renewable energy portfolio standard by 2045.

Therefore, your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Requiring the Hawaii Natural Energy Institute to establish a strategic plan through the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism and in cooperation with the Office of the Governor;

(2) Requiring the Hawaii Natural Energy Institute to submit its strategic plan including proposed strategies, benchmarks, and metrics, and any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2023;

(3) Removing the appropriation for the development of the strategic plan;

(4) Changing the submission date for the feasibility study conducted by the Hawaii Natural Energy Institute to no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2023; and

(5) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Energy, Economic Development, and Tourism that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 243, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 243, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Energy, Economic Development, and Tourism,

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GLENN WAKAI, Chair