STAND. COM. REP. NO.  304

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2015

RE:   H.B. No. 1296

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection, to which was referred H.B. No. 1296 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ENERGY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to implement a hydrogen economy in Hawaii by establishing the Hydrogen Implementation Authority within the State Energy Office of the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism.

The Hawaii Center for Advanced Transportation Technologies supported this measure.  The Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism and Hawaii Automobile Dealers' Association submitted comments.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

     (1)  Deleting provisions establishing the Hydrogen Implementation Authority;

     (2)  Designating the director of the Hawaii Center for Advanced Transportation Technologies of the High Technology Development Corporation as the State Hydrogen Implementation Coordinator;

     (3)  Establishing the responsibilities of the State Hydrogen Implementation Coordinator;

     (4)  Requiring that the Hydrogen Investment Capital Special Fund be used to provide funding for the implementation of hydrogen infrastructure, instead of providing seed capital for and venture capital investments in private- sector and federal projects for research, development, testing, and implementation of the Hawaii Renewable Hydrogen Program and related purposes;

     (5)  Establishing the Hydrogen Implementation Working Group to study and examine methods to promote the expansion of hydrogen-based energy in Hawaii and directing the working group to submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature by November 30, 2015; and

     (6)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

     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. 1296, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1296, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

CHRIS LEE, Chair