STAND. COM. REP. NO. 538

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 1247

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Energy, Economic Development, and Tourism and Water and Land, to which was referred S.B. No. 1247 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO WASTE-TO-ENERGY,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to require the Hawaii State Energy Office to enter into a public-private partnership to develop a waste-to-energy generating facility on land under the jurisdiction of the Department of Land and Natural Resources.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local Union 1186, Iron Workers Stabilization Fund, and two individuals. Your Committees received testimony in opposition to this measure from Zero Waste O‘ahu, Zero Waste Hawai‘i Island, Our Revolution Hawaii, SanHi Government Strategies, Environmental Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i, Climate Protectors Hawaii, Surfrider Foundation, 350Hawaii, Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii, and seven individuals. Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of Public Safety; Hawaii State Energy Office; Department of Land and Natural Resources; Department of Environmental Services for the City and County of Honolulu; and Hawaiian Electric Company, Inc.

Your Committees find that using waste-to-energy technology is a promising strategy for reducing the State's solid waste stream. Nationally, there are seventy-six waste-to-energy facilities that process up to ninety-four thousand tons of solid waste per day and produce enough energy each day to power the equivalent of 2,300,000 homes. Your Committees believe that a waste-to-energy facility would help the State meet its goal of reducing the solid waste stream. This measure will help relieve the need for landfill space while also providing much needed alternative sources of energy.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Deleting language that would have required the Hawaii State Energy Office to develop the waste-to-energy generating facility on land under the jurisdiction of the Department of Land and Natural Resources;

(2) Amending section 1 to reflect its amended purpose; and

(3) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Energy, Economic Development, and Tourism and Water and Land that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1247, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1247, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Energy, Economic Development, and Tourism and Water and Land,

________________________________ LORRAINE R. INOUYE, Chair

________________________________ LYNN DECOITE, Chair