STAND. COM. REP. NO.923

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2003

RE: S.B. No. 1239

S.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 1239, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ENERGY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to encourage the use of biodiesel fuel in Hawaii as an important source of renewable energy.

In particular, this measure requires biodiesel fuel to be used in state government motor vehicles and establishes a biodiesel fuel revolving fund for this purpose; encourages the use of biodiesel in the marine industry by allowing for the delivery and fueling of biodiesel and for the installation of biodiesel fuel pumps to all state harbors; and exempts biodiesel fuel from the fuel tax law.

This measure also bans grease and grease traps from Hawaii's landfills and requires the Department of Health to review permanent alternatives for processing grease and ways to encourage recycling to reduce the amount of waste sent to Hawaii's landfills. The prohibition of grease and grease traps from landfills is to take effect six months after the issuance of the last certificate of occupancy of all the biodiesel processing plants of all counties.

Your Committee finds that biodiesel is becoming a mainstream alternative fuel and, in the past decade, has gone from a nearly non-existent market position to use in more than one hundred major fleets. Biodiesel is used in trucking, public transit, school districts, agriculture, public utilities, and military fleets.

Your Committee agrees with the intent of this measure and finds that it will encourage the recycling of grease trap waste to reduce the amount of waste going to Hawaii's landfills and will encourage the use of biodiesel fuel in Hawaii as an important source of renewable energy.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1239, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

____________________________

BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair