STAND. COM. REP. NO. 44

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 890

 

 

 

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Energy and Environment, to which was referred S.B. No. 890 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ENERGY,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds to the Pacific-Asia Institute for Resilience and Sustainability.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from Enterprise Honolulu and two individuals.

 

     Your Committee finds that the Pacific-Asia Institute for Resilience and Sustainability, in collaboration with various agencies and organizations, is making efforts to improve energy efficiency, reliability, security, and grid operations in Hawaii.  This includes a study of the potential enhancement of the security, reliability, and dependability of the electric grid on Oahu and ways to apply analytics to better predict potential risks and issues, including natural disasters.  While this initial study is focused on Oahu, it is evident from recent power outages that the electric grid on the island of Hawaii and other neighbor islands should also be studied.  This measure will fund the Pacific-Asia Institute for Resilience and Sustainability's research efforts in exploring methods to improve energy efficiency and support the development of a statewide smart grid.

 

     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 S.B. No. 890 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

 

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

 

 

 

____________________________

MIKE GABBARD, Chair