Bill Text: HI SCR99 | 2010 | Regular Session | Introduced

Hawaii Senate Concurrent Resolution 99 (Prior Session Legislation)

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

Bill Title: Geothermal Energy; Working Group

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 13-0)

Status: (Passed) 2010-04-20 - (S) Resolution adopted in final form. [SCR99 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2010-SCR99-Introduced.html

THE SENATE	S.C.R. NO.	99
TWENTY-FIFTH LEGISLATURE, 2010
STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

requesting the establishment of a working group to ANALYZE the potential development of geothermal energy as the PRIMARY energy source TO MEET THE BASELOAD DEMAND FOR ELECTRICITY ON the big island.

WHEREAS, in 1881, King David Kalakaua visited Thomas Edison in New York to discuss extracting power from Hawaii's volcanoes and using underwater cables to carry power between islands; and

WHEREAS, at the time, his strategy did not prove to be feasible, and hydropower was used to generate electricity to light Honolulu; and

WHEREAS, today, technology advances make geothermal energy not only feasible, but a top source of renewable energy; and

WHEREAS, geothermal energy is a more reliable source of energy than solar or wind energy, because when the wind does not blow and the sun does not shine, the heat from the volcano continues to produce a steady flow of power; and

WHEREAS, Hawaii's ratio of renewable energy generation (ten per cent) to fossil fuel generation (ninety per cent) ranks third in the nation; and

WHEREAS, the United States Department of Energy has indicated that Hawaii is one of the best positioned states for renewable energy potential; and

WHEREAS, the United States Environmental Protection Agency asserts that greenhouse gases threaten public health and science overwhelmingly shows greenhouse gas concentrations are at unprecedented levels due to human activity; and

WHEREAS, there is irrefutable evidence that global warming is real and occurring at an alarming rate, with rising sea levels and stronger and more frequent storms; and

WHEREAS, the designation and establishment of geothermal resource subzones more than twenty-five years ago needs to be reviewed to reaffirm or amend the original feasibility assessments; and

WHEREAS, previous geothermal development has raised sensitive issues regarding the impacts on native Hawaiian cultural and spiritual practices; and

WHEREAS, Hawaii needs a sustainable energy market that strikes a balance between economic, community, and environmental priorities; and

WHEREAS, the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative aims to meet seventy per cent of the State's energy needs through renewable sources by 2030; and

WHEREAS, geothermal energy is efficient and stable, and has long-term viability to help Hawaii meet its 2030 goals, reduce its contribution to global warming, and create a sustainable energy market; and

WHEREAS, as a proven source of reliable firm capacity, geothermal energy has great potential to be the primary source of energy to meet the Big Island's baseload demand, generating the amount of power required to meet minimum electricity demands based on reasonable expectations of customer requirements; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-fifth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2010, the House of Representatives concurring, that the County of Hawaii is requested to establish, convene, and facilitate a working group to analyze the potential development of geothermal energy as the primary energy source to meet the baseload demand for electricity on the Big Island; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the working group consist of eleven members with the Mayor of Hawaii County designating the chairperson, including:

(1) The Hawaii County Energy Coordinator, or designee;

(2) One member designated by Hawaii Electric Light Company;

(3) One member designated by the Big Island Labor Alliance;

(4) One member designated by the Hawaii Island Economic Development Board, Inc.;

(5) One member designated by the Chairperson of the Public Utilities Commission;

(6) The Hawaii Island Office of Hawaiian Affairs Trustee, or designee;

(7) One member designated by the Director of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism;

(8) One member designated by the Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources;

(9) One member who is a representative of a non-profit, environmental group to be selected by the President of the Senate;

(10) One member who is a representative of a cultural organization to be selected by the Speaker of the House of Representatives; and

(11) One member representing West Hawaii to be selected by the Mayor of Hawaii County; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the working group consider the potential impacts of expanding geothermal energy production on native habitats, pristine forest environments, and native Hawaiian values and practices, and recommend mitigative measures to ameliorate any adverse impacts that may be caused by geothermal energy production expansion; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the working group also consider what improvements may be required for the electricity transmission system and what funding may be available for such projects from the United States Department of Energy; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the working group is requested to include a feasibility and cost-benefit analysis of using geothermal energy as the primary energy source to meet baseload demand on the Big Island, including an analysis of community, environmental, and economic benefits; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that any community benefits analysis include the possibility and feasibility of establishing a community benefits package that includes the distribution of royalties derived from geothermal energy production to impacted communities, and strategies to avoid passing costs onto the customer; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the working group is further requested to include a detailed accounting of the geothermal royalties collected by the State, the County of Hawaii, and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, including how those entities distribute and use the royalties; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the County of Hawaii is requested to provide an interim report to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the 2011 Regular Session, and the final report of the working group to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the 2012 Regular Session; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Governor, the Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources, the Director of the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, the Chairperson of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, the Mayor of Hawaii County, the Chairperson of the Hawaii Island Economic Development Board, Inc., the Chairperson of the Public Utilities Commission, the President of the Hawaii Electric Light Company, and the President of the Big Island Labor Alliance.