SB 1656 Hawaii Senate · 2025 Regular Session

RELATING TO PUMPED STORAGE HYDROPOWER.

Summary

Authorizes the issuance of general obligation bonds to the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to finance the planning, designing, and construction of a water pump storage hydroelectric facility in the Kohala Mountains on Hawaii Island. Requires the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to conduct a feasibility study and report the results to the Legislature. Requires the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to conduct an Environmental Impact Statement and submit an annual progress report to the Legislature. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Issues: ✓ Energy

Sub-Topics: Hydroelectric Energy Storage

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Jan 23, 2025 Last action Feb 13, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

SB1656 → SB1656_SD1 · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was reformatted from a Senate bill (SB) to a Senate Draft (SD1) with substantive policy additions. The most significant changes are the addition of a feasibility study requirement before bond issuance, a new environmental impact statement requirement, and a major timeline change moving the effective date from July 1, 2025 to July 1, 2050.

Scope change

The bill's scope was expanded to include mandatory feasibility studies and environmental impact assessments before any funding is released, adding regulatory oversight to the project.

REQUIREMENT

Added Section 2 requiring the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to conduct a feasibility study evaluating costs, revenue, and environmental impacts before issuing bonds, with a report due 20 days before the 2028 legislative session.

Added Section 3 requiring an environmental impact statement in accordance with Hawaii Revised Statutes Chapter 343, including consultation with the water resource management commission.

Added Section 6 requiring annual progress reports to the legislature detailing expenditures, milestones, and project timelines.

TIMELINE

Changed the effective date from July 1, 2025 to July 1, 2050, delaying the implementation of the project by approximately 25 years.

FISCAL

Reordered the funding sections, moving the bond authorization to Section 4 and the expenditure authority to Section 5, with new prerequisite requirements added before funding can be accessed.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Feb 13, 2025

Committee

Reported from HWN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 430) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referral to WAM.

upper

Feb 4, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on HWN recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in HWN were as follows: 5 Aye(s): Senator(s) Richards, San Buenaventura, Ihara, Keohokalole, DeCorte; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 0 Excused: none.

upper

Jan 31, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on HWN has scheduled a public hearing on 02-04-25 1:15PM; Conference Room 224 & Videoconference.

upper

Jan 27, 2025

Committee

Referred to HWN, WAM.

upper

Jan 23, 2025

Introduced

Introduced.

upper

4 primary · 0 co-sponsors