STAND. COM. REP. NO.  441-10

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

February 16, 2010

 

RE:   H.R. No. 26

 

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2010

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection, to which was referred H.R. No. 26 entitled:

 

"HOUSE RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS TO PASS LEGISLATION THAT PROMOTES JOBS AND INNOVATIVE ENERGY DEVELOPMENT, HEIGHTENS NATIONAL ENERGY AND ECONOMIC SECURITY, POSITIONS THE UNITED STATES TO BE AN INTERNATIONAL LEADER IN THE FIELD OF CLEAN ENERGY, AND ADDRESSES THE CONSEQUENCES OF CLIMATE CHANGE WITHOUT PREEMPTING STATES' RIGHTS TO CONTROL EMISSIONS AND TO PROMOTE RENEWABLE ENERGY,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this resolution is to urge the United States Congress to pass clean energy and climate change legislation that does not pre-empt state legislative efforts to control carbon emissions and to advance clean energy innovations.

 

     At present, the United States exports its wealth in order to import the oil that is necessary to meet our energy needs; this weakens our economy, threatens our security, and negatively impacts our environment. Although, individual States are leading the country in green jobs and clean energy adoption, including an unprecedented agreement in 2008 between the State of Hawai'i and the United States Department of Energy, which created the Hawai'i Clean Energy Initiative, we lack a national framework of legislation for renewable energy and energy efficiency, which will strengthen the country's security, create clean energy jobs, and reduce pollution.

     Therefore, a bipartisan Coalition of (State) Legislators for Energy Action Now (CLEAN) is calling on Congress to act now, to keep our hard earned billions in our states, to create a robust economy with new green jobs, and to make our nation more secure by enacting a national energy policy that supports clean energy technology.

 

     Blue Planet Foundation and the Hawaii Solar Energy Association testified in support of this measure.

 

     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 H.R. No. 26 and recommends its adoption.

 

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

 

 

 

 

____________________________

HERMINA MORITA, Chair