STAND. COM. REP. NO. 7

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: H.B. No. 654

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection, to which was referred H.B. No. 654 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO BUILDINGS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to create and appropriate funds for a Sustainable Buildings Program that requires state and county agencies to process the aggregated energy and water data of certain properties through the federal ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager and submit the benchmarking data to the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawai‘i Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission, Hawaii State Energy Office, Office of Planning and Sustainable Development, Ulupono Initiative, Climate Protectors Hawai‘i, Hawaii Environmental Change Agents' Decarbonization of Buildings Task Force, 350Hawaii.org, Environmental Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i, Kaua‘i Climate Action Coalition, and six individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Accounting and General Services and Hawaiian Electric.

Your Committee finds that the State is committed to reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases. However, buildings and other structures generate forty percent of the annual global carbon dioxide emissions. While various state and local governments, including the City and County of Honolulu, have passed laws that require measuring and tracking greenhouse gas emissions, this measure ensures that buildings within the State are more environmentally sustainable, particularly with respect to greenhouse gas emissions and energy and water consumption.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting the provisions related to the Building Benchmarking Program as a new part under chapter 196, Hawaii Revised Statutes, rather than a new chapter;

(2) Requiring the Hawaii State Energy Office, rather than the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development, to oversee the Building Benchmarking Program;

(3) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

(4) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of 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. 654, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 654, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce.

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

____________________________

NICOLE E. LOWEN, Chair