Senate Standing Committee on Energy and Intergovernmental Affairs

Thank you for your patience.

We're convening the Committee on Energy and Intergovernmental Affairs on this Thursday, April 10th at 3:00 in room 016. This hearing is being streamed live on YouTube. If we have any kind of technical difficulties, we will post public notice as to when we will reconvene. I ask that those who are testifying limit your testimony to one minute.

We have one measure on this agenda that is House Concurrent Resolution 58 HD 1, requesting the Hawaii State Energy Office to convene a Geothermal Energy Working Group to evaluate the regulatory and policy landscape surrounding geothermal energy in Hawaii. On our testifiers list we have Leo Asuncion from the PUC.

Afternoon Chair, Vice Chair, members of the committee. I'm Justin Simon with the PUC. I stand on our written testimony and I'm available for comments. Thank you.

Kali Watson from DHHL has - Thank you, Michel Angelo from the Consumer Advocates Office.

Good afternoon, Chair, Vice Chair, members of the committee. Asami Kobayashi here on behalf of Executive Director Mike Angelo we stand on our written testimony in support and available for questions. Thank you Asami.

Mark Glick from the State Energy Office.

Good afternoon, Chair, Vice Chair, members of the committee. Monique Zanfes on behalf of the Hawaii State Energy Office; we stand honor written testimony in support and I'm available for questions.

Thank you. Thank you, Monique. Michael Munekata from Ulupono, provides testimony support. Beatrice Dirago, Peter Sterlett, Alice Kim, and Keith Neal all in support. Is there anyone else wishing to testify on HCR 58? If not, members, any questions? Yes?

Energy Office please.

Energy Office. Monique.

Yes.

Hi. How much work is involved in evaluating the regulatory and policy landscape surrounding geothermal landscape in Hawaii?

A lot. And I think it involves a lot of different agencies and collaboration. You know, I think there's the resource exploration component, that's one. The first piece that involves, you know, permitting. It's going to be different if you're on private lands, DHHL lands, government lands.

And then you know, there's once you find, if the resource is found, what is the next step to appropriately permit and develop that resource. So that involves more work and more collaboration with the agencies. You know, depending on the land it's located on. Is it DLNR, is it private, Is it DHHL?

So, there's a lot of different components to the regulatory landscape. And the way, the only way I see it being done is if everyone's at the table and has sort of, you know, the, the written guidelines to, to figure it out.

So cost wise, just within your office, what would it cost to kind of say, I don't know, East Maui, that has been a targeted area in my district, to kind of just do like exploration of that area. I mean money wise, what does it cost me?

So, the drilling itself is separate from sort of the permitting and the collaboration and that we work with UH. I think we're, you know, off the top of my head, you know per just initial testing bore well, it's around 2.5 million or more just to drill the well.

And then after that you still have to do further resource characterization after you drill this slim hole well for determining, you know, if there's heat and if there's not, you know, you want to make sure you're stepping away at the right time, and we work with UA for that.

What about that point, you know, they go like, you know, you get the community goes, "Oh, by the way, thank you for doing that. But you know we really don't like you here."

That's it's a challenge and I think that's why you don't want to start to raise concern without even knowing if the resource is there. Why create panic? I will say there's other benefits aside from geothermal to drilling these wells.

We do determine water, underground water resources and you know, understanding our geology, I think it is important, and you can do more. You know, you're developing a temperature profile as well so you can use underground sort of surface. It can inform your surface modeling a little bit better to make it your surface model more accurate.

So, I know that this allows for other members invited by the Chair. So, I was just wondering at that point, wouldn't you folks consider having community members also I think that involved in energy or have been looking at other sources of energy to be invited as well.

Yeah. And I think that's an important part of the bill itself. And you know something, I know Mark would take very seriously who he invites.

He's been really involved with a lot of the community. So, you know. Thank you Chair. Thank you.

No, my pleasure. Any further questions? If not, members, we're going to go straight into decision making. And after conferring with myself, I strong armed my little brain to say we're going to pass this measure out as is. Any discussion? If not, Senator Chang, I vote yes.

Chair's recommendation for HCR 58 is to pass unamended. [Roll Call]. The recommendation is adopted.

Great. Thank you, members. We are adjourned.

Thank you, masses, for joining us on this Thursday, April 10th at 4:00 in room 016. We're here for the Committee on Energy and Intergovernmental Affairs to hear two resolutions.

The first is HCR 6, requesting the Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu and the Honolulu City Council and the Department of Parks and Recreation of the City and County of Honolulu to create a dedicated animal education and training complex within Kalaeloa Parklands.

We have a number of testifiers on this list, and we have Lynn Muramaru from Pacific Pet Alliance who might be joining us via Zoom. Welcome. Lynn, is that you?

Oops, yes. Yes, it is. Thank you very much for this opportunity, Senator Wakai and members of the committee. The Pacific Pet Alliance fully supports this resolution as we proceed to work with the City and County of Honolulu on a dedicated animal facility on the leeward side between Waipahu till the end of the road in Makaha.

There's only one dog friendly park, unleashed dog park in the whole area and it's very difficult for us to get animal friendly facilities, you know, not only for dogs, but for indoor cat shows, indoor rabbit shows, bird shows, 4H, you know. And even if we try to rent facilities, it's very, very cost prohibitive.

So, we would sincerely appreciate the support of the Hawaii State Legislature as we proceed with the city and county.

Thank you, Lynn.

Thank you.

On Zoom, we might also be graced by Pikachu Billionaire.

Not present on Zoom, Chair.

Oh, shucks. Okay. Is there anyone else wishing to testify on HCR 68? Any questions for Lynn? Okay, we're going to move on to the next resolution. That is HCR 72, urging the Ethics Commission of each county to adopt standards similar to that applicable to state elected officials and officers as adopted and enforced by the State Ethics Commission. And on our testifiers list, we have Jermaine Myers; might be joining us via Zoom.

Not present, chair.

Okay. How about Shelby Pikachu Billionaire. Did he by chance show up all of a sudden?

No, still not present.

Okay. Sorry, members. No one to ask questions of. So if you don't mind, we're going to move straight into decision-making. For the first resolution, this is the, putting a kind of a dog park in the Kalaeloa area. I'd like to pass this measure out as is. Any discussion? If not, Senator Chang. I vote yes.

Chair's recommendation for HCR 68 is to pass unamended. Chair votes aye. Vice chair votes aye. [Roll Call]. The recommendation is adopted.

Okay, thank you. On the next measure, HCR 72, this is to have the county politicians have to abide by the same ethics that all of us here in the state have to abide by, and I'd like to pass this measure out as is. Any discussion? If not, Senator Chang. I vote yes.

Chair's recommendation for HCR 72 is to pass unamended. Noting the excusal of Senator Fevella, the members present, are there any objections or reservations? Seeing none, the recommendation is adopted.

Great. Thank you everyone. We are adjourned.