STAND. COM. REP. NO.  761-08

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2008

 

RE:   H.B. No. 2502

      H.D. 2

 

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committees on Water, Land, Ocean Resources & Hawaiian Affairs and Agriculture, to which was referred H.B. No. 2502, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SOLAR ENERGY,"

 

beg leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this bill is to make the most productive use of marginal agricultural lands by including solar energy facilities as permitted uses within the agricultural district on land meeting the following requirements:

 

(1)  The soil is classified as overall (master) productivity rating class D or E by the Land Study Bureau's detailed land classification;

 

(2)  The total acreage used by the facility is the lesser of ten acres or one percent of the parcel;

 

(3)  The land is located near specified electrical transmission and distribution systems; and

 

(4)  The land can generate at least a specified amount of solar energy.

 


     The Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii, Castle & Cooke Hawaii, and Sopogy, Inc., testified in support of this bill.  The Department of Agriculture and Dowling Company, Inc., supported the intent of this measure.  The Maui County Farm Bureau opposed this bill.  The Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation provided comments.

 

     Your Committees have amended this bill by removing the acreage, location, and energy generation limits under which a solar energy facility is a permitted use on land in the agricultural district.

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Water, Land, Ocean Resources & Hawaiian Affairs and Agriculture that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2502, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2502, H.D. 2.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Water, Land, Ocean Resources & Hawaiian Affairs and Agriculture,

 

 

____________________________

CLIFT TSUJI, Chair

 

____________________________

KEN ITO, Chair