STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1866-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: S.C.R. No. 97

S.D. 1

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 97, S.D. 1, entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE HAWAII STATE ENERGY OFFICE TO CONVENE A RENEWABLE LIQUID FUELS WORKING GROUP TO STUDY LOCAL PRODUCTION, DEVELOPMENT, AND INCENTIVES FOR RENEWABLE LIQUID FUELS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to request the Hawaii State Energy Office to convene a Renewable Liquid Fuels Working Group to study local production, development, and incentives for renewable liquid fuels.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii State Energy Office; Hawaiʻi Farm Bureau; Pacific Biodiesel; Island Energy Services; Par Hawaii; Pono Pacific; Airlines for America; Hawaiian Airlines; and Airlines Committee of Hawaii. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Energy Justice Network.

Your Committee finds that the transportation sector significantly contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and that the State is heavily dependent on various modes of transportation for tourism, commerce, and inter-island travel. Your Committee further finds that renewable liquid fuels offer a viable solution to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions across various modes of transportation. This measure requests the Hawaii State Energy Office to convene a Renewable Liquid Fuels Working Group to study local production, development, and incentives for renewable liquid fuels.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that a representative from the airline industry, rather than from Airlines for America, is requested to be invited to the working group;

(2) Narrowing the Working Group's focus to fuels for the transportation sector by:

(A) Removing representatives from Hawaiian Electric, Hawaii Gas, and Kauai Island Utility Cooperative as individuals requested to be invited to the working group;

(B) Requesting the working group to identify costs, benefits, and risks of local renewable liquid fuel production; and

(C) Deleting the request for the working group to evaluate the adoption of a clean fuel standard;

(3) Adding an interim reporting requirement for January 1, 2025;

(4) Changing the deadline for the submission of the final report to January 1, 2026; and

(5) 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 concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 97, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 97, S.D. 1, H.D. 1.

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

____________________________

NICOLE E. LOWEN, Chair