Bill Text: HI SR97 | 2011 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Geothermal Energy Policy; County of Hawaii
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-03-21 - (S) Referred to ENE/PGM, CPN. [SR97 Detail]
Download: Hawaii-2011-SR97-Introduced.html
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THE SENATE |
S.R. NO. |
97 |
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TWENTY-SIXTH LEGISLATURE, 2011 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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SENATE RESOLUTION
requesting the establishment of an energy preservation and development policy to guide the expansion of geothermal energy USE on the COUNTY OF HAWAII.
WHEREAS, the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative aims to meet seventy percent of the State's energy needs through renewable resources by 2030; and
WHEREAS, 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 percent) to fossil fuel generation (ninety percent) 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, geothermal energy is efficient, stable, and has long-term viability to help Hawaii meet its 2030 energy goals, reduce its contribution to global warming, and create a sustainable energy market; and
WHEREAS, Hawaii needs a sustainable energy market that strikes a balance between economic, community, and environmental priorities; and
WHEREAS, Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 99 (2010) established a working group charged with the duty of analyzing the potential development of geothermal energy as the primary energy source to meet the baseload demand for electricity on the Big Island; and
WHEREAS, the Geothermal Working Group recommended that Hawaii's legislators:
(1) Fund research and field work to catalog geothermal energy resources available on the Big Island;
(2) Authorize a legislative agenda item to reconsider how the royalties from geothermal production are distributed to the State, county, and neighborhoods that border geothermal plants;
(3) Designate geothermal funds for programs that benefit local communities and that further develop the resource; and
(4) Make a highly-efficient, non-fossil energy future a top priority; and
WHEREAS, the County of Hawaii should now consider the implementation of policies and practices recommended by the Geothermal Working Group; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-sixth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2011, that the County of Hawaii is requested to establish an Energy Preservation and Development Policy to guide the expansion of geothermal energy use in the County of Hawaii; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the County of Hawaii is requested to grant the Public Utilities Commission the authority to publicly review and comment on all contracts, agreements, and policies concerning the expansion, reconfiguration, or use of geothermal energy in the County of Hawaii; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the County of Hawaii is requested to submit its written findings and policy recommendations to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2012; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Governor, Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources, Director of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Mayor of Hawaii County, Hawaii Island Economic Development Board, Inc., Public Utilities Commission, Hawaii Electric Light Company, and Big Island Labor Alliance.
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OFFERED BY: |
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Geothermal Energy Policy; County of Hawaii
