STAND. COM. REP. NO.  866

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2015

RE:   H.B. No. 1509

      H.D. 3

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 1509, H.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ENERGY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to reduce energy costs for public facilities in Hawaii by, among other things:

     (1)  Directing the University of Hawaii to establish a collective goal of becoming net-zero with respect to energy use by January 1, 2035;

     (2)  Establishing the University of Hawaii Net-zero Special Fund and its financing, expenditure, and reporting procedures, to facilitate energy efficient capital improvement projects;

     (3)  Appropriating funds for the retrofit of two buildings each at the University of Hawaii at Manoa and University of Hawaii at Hilo; and

     (4)  Appropriating funds for two positions within the University of Hawaii system to provide necessary financial, technical, and other support to advance the University's net-zero energy goal.

The Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism; University of Hawaii; University of Hawaii Professional Assembly; LGBT Student Services – University of Hawaii at Manoa; Democratic Party of Hawaii; Sustainable UH; and numerous individuals testified in support of this measure.  The Department of Budget and Finance provided comments.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Deleting the appropriation for the retrofit of Kuykendall Hall;

     (2)  Specifying that the appropriation from the Hawaii net-zero special fund for the University of Hawaii at Manoa may also be used for other campus small energy efficiency projects with high return on investment in addition to the retrofit of Klum Gym; and

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

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1509, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1509, H.D. 3.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Finance,

____________________________

SYLVIA LUKE, Chair