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 Tuesday, April 21 at, 02:00 in the afternoon in Room 225. This hearing is being streamed live on YouTube. And if we have any kind of technical difficulties, we will post a public notice on when we will reconvene. This is just DM, so no testimony.

We heard many of these resolutions with our Senate counterparts in the previous week and would like to just take the votes on the agreements that we've had with those other committees. So on the first resolution, House Concurrent Resolution 43, this is urging the Department of Transportation, and the City County of Honolulu to install raised crosswalks at the University Avenue, Maliki Street and Kamoku Street intersections. These are all, areas near the Ala Wai Elementary and their district representative there.

Things that, this would greatly enhance safety for the kids that are going to Ala Wai Elementary. So we'd like to recommend that we join our transportation counterparts on this one and pass this measure as is.

Any discussion?

If not, Senator Chang, I vote yes. Chair's Chair's recommendation for HCR 43 is to pass unamended. Chair votes yes. Vice chair votes aye. Senator DeCoite?

Aye. Senator Richards? Aye. Senator Fevella? Aye.

Recommendation is adopted.

Thank you. The next resolution is HCR 154 requesting the County Of Hawaii to expand the Heleon shared ride program to serve the entire island of Hawaii, including rural and underserved areas such as West Hawaii, North Kohala, South Kohala, Kau, and Puna. We would like to pass this measure out as is. Any discussion? Well, the bus is free.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. See you with a big shocker.

I think Glenn gave him the shocker sign.

That's right. We make that official state gesture. Any other discussion? If not, Senator Chang, I vote yes.

There's recommendation for HCR 154 is to pass as amended. By the way, the purpose of all members, are there any objections or reservations? Hearing none, the recommendation is adopted.

Thank you. The next resolution is HCR 165 requesting the city and county of Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation to install permanent pickle ball nets and court lighting at the tennis courts and Camilo Iki Community Park. This is over in Hawaii Kai. I'd like to pass this measure out as is. Any discussion?

If not, Senator Chang, I vote yes.

Chair's recommendation for HCR 165 is passed unamended, noting the presence of all members. Are there any objections or reservations? Seeing none, the recommendation is adopted.

Thank you. The next measure is House Concurrent Resolution 186, urging the US Department of Defense and Defense Health Agency to extend the renewal period for secretarial designee health care authorizations relating to the Red Hill water contamination crisis and to improve health care access for affected individuals. I just want to hold the military accountable for their past mistakes, and we'd like to pass this measure out as is. Any discussion? If not, Senator Chang, I vote yes.

There's recommendation for HCL 186 to pass unamended with all members present. Are there any objections or reservations? Seeing none, the recommendation is adopted.

Thank you. The next measure is ACR 200 urging the United States Department of Defense to reassess prior determinations and closure decisions under the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act in light of evolving scientific understanding of PFAS. So again, making sure that we mitigate as best as we can to keep PFAS out of our water system. Any discussion? If not, Senator Chang, I vote yes.

Oh, pass to pass as is.

I vote yes. Sure. The recommendation for HCR 200 is to pass unended. The number is present. With all five members present, are there any objections or reservations?

Seeing none, the recommendation is adopted.

Thank you. Members, we're gonna go on to HCR 202. This is, establishing a legislative task force on Hawaii's future energy pathways to examine strategies to maximize cost savings while minimizing risk to rate payers over the next three decades and achieving the state's energy goals and producing affordable, reliable, resilient and also decarbonized energy.

We'd had a joint hearing with our friends from CPN, and what we agreed to with CPN was to amend the scope and study of the task force's responsibility to also include, the separation of ownership and control of electrice electric energy generation services from transmission and distribution services. We also agreed that there should be more representation of the Senate onto this House Resolution.

And so we added the chairperson of the Senate Standing Committee on Having Jurisdiction over Energy, as well as a chairperson person of the Senate Standing Committee Overseeing Commerce and consumer protection. And want to clarify. So when we added those two individuals, we forgot that there was one member of the Senate, but it was just kind of open ended. So we're gonna clarify that we're gonna delete the member of the Senate that's already outlined in the resolution.

So essentially, take out one person and add two senators into the resolution.

And we also want to add this is where we differ at the current time from our consumer protection colleagues. We're gonna add, a representative from the Agricultural Development Corporation, as well as a representative from the Farm Bureau to take part in this task force. So those are the recommendations for amendments to this measure. Any discussion?

Sure. Thank you. Thank you for all just mention. Yeah. All your designee.

Right?

All your designee for the two Senate committee chairperson, consumer protection and energy. Sorry. But, chair,

thank you for the amendment. Appreciate it. I I got on WR.

Yeah. Chair, I I appreciate the amendments too. My concern, because one of the comments was made, is about separating generation and distribution, and I'm concerned about that substantially increase in cost. The fact that we're gonna have a bit better oversight of where we're taking this, I will, in the spirit of support, support this with reservations. But, again, the idea is to focus in on cost effective generation and specifically on that.

And so that's what I'm looking forward to.

Thank you. Any other discussion? If not, Senator Chang, I vote yes with those amendments.

K. Chair's recommendation for HCR 202 is to pass with amendments. Chair votes yes. Vice chair votes yes. Senator DeCoite, reservations.

Senator Richards.

Reservations. Senator Fevella.

Reservations. Recommendation is adopted.

Okay. Thank you. The last measure on this agenda, that is House Concurrent Resolution two zero six HD one, requesting the Hawaii State Energy Office to convene a working group to study the potential impacts of large data centers on Hawaii's electrical utilities, repairs, natural resources, and climate goals. We'd like to pass this measure out as is. Any discussion?

If not, Senator Chang, I vote yes.

Chair's recommendation for HCR 206 is to pass unamended with all five members present. Are there any objections or reservations? Seeing none, the recommendation is adopted.

Great. Thank you, everyone. We're adjourned.