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)
Requires government entities in the State that issue building permits to implement SolarAPP+ or a functionally equivalent online automated permitting platform that verifies code compliance and issues permits to licensed contractors for solar distributed energy resource systems in real-time by 1/1/2026. Requires government entities in the State that issue building permits in areas served by an investor-owned electric utility to adopt a self-certification process for solar distributed energy resource systems that are not SolarAPP+ compatible.
Establishes a Carbon Sequestration, Underground Water, and Geothermal Exploration Resource Characterization Program via slim hole bores and requires a related statewide environmental assessment. Requires a report to the Legislature. Establishes positions. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/3000. (SD2)
Requires the Director of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to adopt rules to require that diesel fuel sold in the State for use in on-highway diesel-powered motor vehicles contains no less than five per cent biodiesel by volume.
Increases the cap for awards to assist businesses applying for the Small Business Innovation Research Grant Program and the Small Business Technology Transfer Grant Program of the Hawaii Technology Development Corporation. Adds purchasing of renewable energy systems as an eligible expense and clarifies that training on both new and existing manufacturing equipment is an eligible expense for the Manufacturing Development Grant Program. Clarifies that no tax credit is available for renewable energy systems purchased with a grant received under the Manufacturing Development Grant Program.
Appropriates funds to be expended by the Department of Health as a grant for the Hawaii Primary Care Association to support solar-plus-storage microgrid implementation at community health centers in medically underserved communities, and provide programmatic services, project management, contract management, reporting and fiscal stewardship responsibilities, and developing future scalable plans for the development and deployment of solar-plus-storage microgrids at nonprofit community health centers. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
Requires the Public Utilities Commission to consider whether approving a proposed merger or acquisition would or would not further the State's renewable energy goals. Prohibits the acquiring entity of an electric utility company from terminating or attempting to renegotiate any existing and valid power purchase agreements and requires the acquiring entity to assume and be bound by existing collective bargaining agreements and retain all covered employees. Establishes a process to ensure that when an electric utility is subject to an application for a proposed acquisition, merger, or consolidation by a potential acquiring entity that is an investor-owned utility and seeks approval of the application from the Public Utilities Commission, the electric utility shall demonstrate that it solicited bids from potential acquiring entities that operate under a non-investor-owned utility ownership model. Requires the electric utility to submit acceptable bids from a potential acquiring entity operating under a non-investor-owned utility ownership model concurrently with an application by a potential acquiring entity that is an investor-owned utility and the Public Utilities Commission to review those applications concurrently. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)
Requires all state and county agencies to utilize applicable federal clean energy tax credits, pursuant to the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, for the purchase and financing of capital improvement projects that use clean energy technology and zero-emission vehicles. Effective 7/1/2050. (SD1)
Increases the cap for awards to assist businesses applying for the Small Business Innovation Research Grant Program and the Small Business Technology Transfer Grant Program of the Hawaii Technology Development Corporation. Adds purchasing of renewable energy systems as an eligible expense and clarifies that training on both new and existing manufacturing equipment is an eligible expense for the Manufacturing Development Grant Program. Clarifies that no tax credit is available for renewable energy systems purchased with a grant received under the Manufacturing Development Grant Program.
Requires the Department of Transportation to establish a clean vehicle rebate program to provide rebates for the purchase or lease of new and used zero-emission vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. Establishes the clean vehicle special fund. Beginning 1/1/2027, establishes a transportation affordability and energy security tax. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD2)
