Bill Text: HI SR76 | 2010 | Regular Session | Amended

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Bill Title: Hawaii State Energy Office

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-03-30 - (S) Report adopted, as amended (SD 1) and referred to WAM. [SR76 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2010-SR76-Amended.html

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STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2913

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.R. No. 76

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2010

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committees on Energy and Environment and Economic Development and Technology, to which was referred S.R. No. 76 entitled:

 

"SENATE RESOLUTION URGING THE STATE OF HAWAII TO IDENTIFY AND APPROPRIATE PERMANENT FUNDING FOR THE HAWAII STATE ENERGY OFFICE,"

 

beg leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to urge the State of Hawaii to identify and appropriate permanent funding for the Hawaii State Energy Office.

 

     Testimony in support of the measure was submitted by one organization.  One state agency supports the intent.  Written testimony presented to the Committees may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

 

     Presently, the State Energy Office is funded by the federal Petroleum Violation Fund and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.  The existing funding is projected to allow the Office to function through December 31, 2010.  The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds eighteen positions, however these positions will expire after April 2012.  Without State funding, the Office will cease to exist and the State will lose access to federal funds under the State Energy Program.  Every dollar of State funding has the potential to bring in four dollars of federal funding to continue to transform Hawaii's energy system into an efficient, diversified, and renewable-sourced system.

 

     Your Committees find that the State Energy Office is significant to the State's future economy and vitality.  The State Energy Office is key to providing the necessary support for the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative and other major programs promoting energy efficiency and renewable energy development, including the coordination of federal stimulus funds needed to accelerate these goals.  Your Committees hope that this measure will elevate the discussion to determine whether general funding or some other permanent source of funding should be used to permanently maintain this critical office.

 

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Clarifying the purpose of the measure by removing the provision requesting the State to identify a source of funding;

 

     (2)  Amending the title to reflect the amended purpose; and

 

     (3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive changes for the purpose of clarity.

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Energy and Environment and Economic Development and Technology that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.R. No. 76, as amended herein, and recommend that it be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, in the form attached hereto as S.R. No. 76, S.D. 1.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Energy and Environment and Economic Development and Technology,

 

____________________________ CAROL FUKUNAGA, Chair		____________________________ MIKE GABBARD, Chair