Author: hinanorey

Energy and Climate Change Updates in Hawaii State Legislature

From the Energy and Climate Change Committee

Dear Members of the Environmental Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawaii,

Following is an update of all the bills which we are still following and supporting. They have each successfully crossed over and deserve our continued attention. I am hoping you will read through to the bottom of this post as I have included them in one long post so that each of you would not be bombarded with several posts. Please stay posted for future action alerts concerning hearings and please submit your testimony for these bills here

Stay posted for the hearing dates and be ready to stand up and let your voice be heard!!

SB 1164 Amends the definition of “eligible business activity” to include production of electric power from renewable energy. Has already passed first reading in the House. Is now being reviewed in the following committees: ECONOMIC REVITALIZATION AND BUSINESS &ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION, FINANCE

HB 1019 Reallocation of Barrel Tax Funds to designate more money to clean energy and food sustainability, (.05 for Environmental response revolving fund; .45 Energy Security special fund; .10 Energy systems development fund; .45 Agriculture development and food security special fund.) Has also passed first reading in the Senate and is now with the following committees: ENERGY & AGRICULTURE & WAYS AND MEANS.

SB 1197 Requires the incorporation of alternative energy designs into construction of and renovations to schools and state facilities on or after 7/1/11. Has passed first reading in the House and is now with the following committees: ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION & EDUCATION & FINANCE

Mahalo for your attention.

Posted by Lisa Hinano Rey
Subcommittee Chair for Energy and Climate Change
Environmental Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawaii

March 14, 2011
HOUSE SLASHES CLIMATE FUNDING

We need your help. The House of Representatives passed a federal funding proposal over the weekend that would make drastic cuts to programs that help solve the climate crisis.

Read our latest blog post to find out more —

The funding bill the House of Representatives voted in favor of is an attack on climate change solutions and climate change science. The House cuts would:

Prohibit the EPA from setting limits on greenhouse gas pollution from power plants, factories and refineries, among the most significant sources of greenhouse gas pollution in the United States.

Prohibit the EPA from collecting information about the sources where greenhouse gas pollution is coming from.

Eliminate funding for a Climate Service at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. This program would efficiently supply scientific data and information about climate change and its impacts.

Slash the EPA’s total budget by about 29%.
Fortunately, both the Senate and the President still need to weigh in on the funding proposal. They must act before March 4. We need your help if we are going to make sure they take the climate crisis more seriously than the House of Representatives did. Read our summary here — and then spread the word among your friends and family.

Thanks for all you do,

Maggie L. Fox
Chief Executive Officer
Climate Protection Action Fund

Posted by Lisa Hinano Rey
Subcommitee for Energy and Climate
Environmental Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawaii

February 23, 2011
Public Decision on Intra-Inter Govt. Energy Wheeling

RELATING TO ENERGY – SB703
The committee(s) on CPN will hold a public decision making on 02-24-11 11:00AM in conference room 229.

Governmental Wheeling; Inter and Intra; Public Utilities; Transmission and Distribution Fee

Requires the public utilities commission to adopt rules and issue orders relating to intra-governmental wheeling and inter-governmental wheeling that enable renewable energy producers operating on public lands to sell electricity directly to governmental entities located on the same island. Authorizes public utilities to charge a transmission and distribution fee for both intra-governmental wheeling and inter-governmental wheeling. (SD1)

February 21, 2011
Climate Change Task Force May Survive

Two committees have recommended that SB 80 be passed but recommendations are still needed in three committees. The bill would extend the life of the task force to 06/30/2013.

2/15/2011 The committee(s) on WLH recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS.

2/15/2011 The committee(s) on ENE recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS.

2/16/2011 Re-Referred to ENE/WLH/PGM, TSM/WAM.

Posted by Lisa Hinano Rey
Subcommittee Chair on Energy and Climate

February 21, 2011
Energy and Climate in the News

3D Solar Cells Could Be Here Next Year

Friday, 28 January 2011–The 3D solar Cell technology is still in its infancy and it might take another year or two before it goes commercial and gains prominence. Patented by Solar3D, the technology promises to make photovoltaic cells that are far more efficient and cost effective than the traditional ones that we are now using. The plan from Solar3D at this point is to create a prototype for public display by the end of 2011.

Jim Nelson, CEO of Solar3D, has announced that their developmental project for the 3D solar cells is running well ahead of its schedule and with the technology having been patented by their company a couple of months back, the next step is to create a prototype that will fit the commercial billing.

3D Solar Cells supposedly use a technology that facilitates micro-photovoltaic structure to trap sunlight and then bounce the photons around to generate more energy than the models that are currently on offer. We are obviously thinking this is akin to trapping light inside a prism and creating multiple reflections, but that is only based on our best guess of how the technology seems to work.
Solar panels built from such cells will not only be more energy efficient but apparently will also cost a lot less. Well, all we can say is that we are anxiously waiting for the first 3D Solar Cell to be out. There is so much solar energy out there, clean and abundant, waiting to be tapped into!
http://solarfeeds.com/ecofriend/15786-3d-solar-cells-could-be-here-next-year?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+solarfeed+%28Solar+Feeds%29

Posted by Lisa Hinano Rey

Chair, Energy and Climate Subcommittee

February 2, 2011
Energy and Climate Subcommitee Informational Link

One of our favorite priorities and part of our multifaceted energy conservation solution was to reduce automobile use for short trips by developing specific procedures for implementing Complete Streets legislation.

Below is a summary of the bill introduced into the Senate which tackles the problem of funding for the complete streets project enacted in 2009.

Follow the progress of this bill at : http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2011/lists/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=SB&billnumber=829

State of Hawaii Senate bill number 829, Twenty-sixth legislature, 2011

RELATING TO COUNTY VEHICULAR TAXES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

The legislature finds that most of the senseless bicycle injuries and deaths on Hawai‘i roadways are preventable. Roadway fatalities continue to be a major concern for our State. Act 54, Session Laws of Hawaii 2009, requires the department of transportation and county transportation departments to adopt complete streets policies that seek to reasonably accommodate convenient access and mobility for all users of the public highways within their respective jurisdictions, including pedestrians, bicyclists, transit users, motorists, and persons of all ages and abilities. Biking is a viable transportation option that also improves health and quality of life.

The legislature further finds that the depressed economy has substantially stalled the State’s ability to move forward on many of the projects that have been planned. Consequently, new avenues of funding are being explored.

The purpose of this Act is to establish an annual bicycle and moped registration renewal fee to augment the moneys in the bikeway fund under section 249-17.5, Hawaii Revised Statutes.

Posted Lisa Rey: Chair of Energy and Climate Subcommittee

January 25, 2011