STAND. COM. REP. NO. 19-22

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2022

RE: H.B. No. 1801

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection, to which was referred H.B. No. 1801 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Require state facilities, with the exception of smaller facilities, to implement cost-effective energy efficiency measures;

(2) Direct the Hawaii State Energy Office to collect all state-owned facilities' utility bill and energy usage data and make this data publicly available;

(3) Establish a goal for the State to achieve at least a twenty-five percent reduction in the electricity consumption of state facilities;

(4) Provide that certain agencies that perform energy efficiency retrofitting may continue to receive a certain amount of budget appropriations for energy expenditures; and

(5) Beginning July 1, 2023, require, where feasible and cost-effective, the design of all new state building construction to maximize energy and water efficiency and energy generation potential and to use building materials that reduce the carbon footprint of the project.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii State Energy Office; Life of the Land; Hawai‘i Energy; Ulupono Initiative; 350Hawaii.org; Blue Planet Foundation; Chamber of Commerce Hawaii; Climate Protectors Hawai‘i; Johnson Controls, Inc.; Elemental Excelerator; and three individuals.

Your Committee finds that energy efficiency is the most cost-effective way to reduce emissions associated with electricity generation and consumption. Although energy used to power buildings accounts for more than fifty percent of the electricity consumed in the State, the State has not undertaken improvements for increased efficiency in many of its own facilities, forgoing millions of dollars in potential savings. Implementation of energy efficiency measures by state agencies allows the State to lead by example when it comes to energy efficiency initiatives and energy efficient design for new construction, which maximize the savings of taxpayer dollars that would otherwise be spent on utility bills.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Increasing the State's goal in its reduction of electricity consumption of state facilities from twenty-five percent to thirty percent; and

(2) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2100, to encourage further discussion.

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. 1801, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1801, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

NICOLE E. LOWEN, Chair