HB 366 Hawaii House · 2025 Regular Session

RELATING TO RENEWABLE ENERGY.

Summary

Requires contested cases, environmental assessment cases, or environmental impact statement cases involving renewable energy projects over twenty megawatts in size, except cases that involve any form of incineration, to be appealed from an agency's decision directly to the Hawaii Supreme Court for final decision. Requires the cases to be prioritized and decided expeditiously. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Issues: ✓ Energy ✓ Environment

Sub-Topics: Renewable Energy

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Jan 16, 2025 Last action Feb 12, 2025

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What changed between versions

HB366 → HB366_HD1 · 4 edits

MODERATE

HB 366 was revised to streamline the permitting process for large renewable energy projects by allowing direct appeals to the Hawaii Supreme Court instead of the lower courts, while also clarifying jurisdiction rules and effective dates. The changes aim to accelerate climate goals by reducing legal delays for projects over 20 megawatts that do not involve incineration.

Scope change

The bill's scope was expanded to include specific jurisdictional clarifications for environmental courts and the Supreme Court, and the effective date was set to July 1, 3000 (likely a placeholder).

REQUIREMENT

Appeals for renewable energy projects over 20 megawatts (excluding incineration) now go directly to the Hawaii Supreme Court instead of lower courts to speed up the process.

ENFORCEMENT

Environmental courts lost exclusive jurisdiction over certain administrative proceedings, with the Supreme Court taking priority for significant statewide renewable energy cases.

TIMELINE

The effective date was set to July 1, 3000, which appears to be a placeholder or error in the revised version.

DEFINITION

Clarified that 'person aggrieved' includes agencies as parties in contested cases for renewable energy appeals.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Feb 4, 2025

Committee

Reported from EEP (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 97) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to JHA.

lower

Jan 28, 2025

Lower · Passed

The committee on EEP recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 5 Ayes: Representative(s) Lowen, Perruso, Kahaloa, Kusch; Ayes with reservations: Representative(s) Quinlan; Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Ward.

lower

Jan 21, 2025

Committee

Referred to EEP, JHA, CPC, referral sheet 1

lower

Jan 17, 2025

Introduced

Introduced and Pass First Reading.

lower

Jan 16, 2025

Introduced

Pending introduction.

lower

9 primary · 0 co-sponsors