STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3125

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    H.B. No. 2507

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Energy and Environment, to which was referred H.B. No. 2507, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS REDUCTION,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds to establish two positions to support the implementation of Act 234, Session Laws of Hawaii 2007, which, among other things, established the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Task Force (Task Force).

 

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Working Group of the Hawaii Energy Policy Forum of the University of Hawaii at Manoa, the Hawaiian Electric Company, Inc., Hawaii Electric Light Company, Inc., Maui Electric Company, Ltd., and the Sierra Club, Hawaii Chapter. 

 

     Your Committee finds that while enactment of Act 234 by the 2007 Legislature was a forward step towards a reduction in Hawaii's contribution to global climate change, there remains the difficult task of reaching the new greenhouse gas standard.  This measure will help to ensure that the arduous and necessary work of the Task Force is continuously supported, and will be completed in as thorough and timely a manner as possible.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Replacing its contents with that of S.B. No. 2846, which is similar, but for an appropriation amount of $135,000, and some technical, nonsubstantive differences in language; and

 

     (2)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2008.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Energy and Environment that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2507, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2507, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Energy and Environment,

 

 

 

____________________________

RON MENOR, Chair