STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1123

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2015

 

RE:   S.B. No. 1295

      S.D. 1

      H.D. 2

 

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection, to which was referred S.B. No. 1295, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE NATURAL ENERGY LABORATORY OF HAWAII AUTHORITY,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to promote renewable energy technology in Hawaii and support the State's economy by:

 

     (1)  Allowing the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism and the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority to enter into inter-agency agreements with each other without entering into a memorandum of agreement or memorandum of understanding; and

 

     (2) Incentivizing the research, development, and commercialization of renewable energy technology in Hawaii by allowing business activities relating to energy produced by ocean thermal energy conversion, solar, or hydrogen and to technologies, including hydrogen research and development, to qualify a business for incentives under the State Enterprise Zone Program.

 

     The Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority supported the measure.  The Department of the Attorney General, Department of Taxation, and Tax Foundation of Hawaii submitted comments.

 

     Your Committee has amended the measure by:

 

     (1)  Deleting the provisions related to inter-agency agreements between the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism and the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority; and

 

     (2)  Transferring the business-incentive provisions from Chapter 227D, Hawaii Revised Statutes (Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority), to Chapter 209E, Hawaii Revised Statutes (State Enterprise Zones), by amending the definition of "eligible business activity".

 

     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 is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1295, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1295, S.D. 1, H.D. 2.

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

____________________________

CHRIS LEE, Chair