House energy committee advances suite of clean‑energy bills; HB977 recommended for $50 million appropriation

The House Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection on Thursday, Feb. 6, advanced a package of clean‑energy bills, approving technical amendments on multiple measures and recommending an appropriation of $50,000,000 for House Bill 977, which would provide financing for underserved ratepayers through the Hawaii Green Infrastructure Authority.

The committee’s action covered bills on energy financing (HB977), use of federal energy tax credits by state and county agencies (HB1295), an energy efficiency portfolio standard (HB1051), long‑duration energy storage (HB1019), electric‑vehicle charging infrastructure (HB344), EV parking requirements (HB733), energy industry information reporting (HB1022), repeal of the greenhouse gas sequestration task force (HB1017), a feasibility study on a “buy clean” procurement program (HB787), and organic‑waste composting goals (HB751). Most measures were passed out of committee “with amendments”; one bill (HB974) was deferred to a later hearing.

Why this matters: The measures touch procurement, infrastructure, and waste policy that affect state fleets, government building projects and islandwide energy plans. The recommended $50 million for HB977 is the largest single appropriation noted in the committee report and would fund low‑interest financing for rooftop solar plus storage for underserved ratepayers, according to testimony.

Key details: Witnesses who testified included the consumer advocate, the Public Utilities Commission, the Hawaii State Energy Office, the Hawaii Green Infrastructure Authority, the Department of Transportation, the Department of Accounting and General Services (DAGS), Hawaiian Electric, Ulupono Initiative, Climate Protectors Hawaii, 350 Hawai‘i, Sierra Club of Hawai‘i and industry stakeholders. Testimony ranged from standing on written testimony to in‑person statements supporting or offering technical comments.

On EV infrastructure and parking, DOT and DAGS provided written testimony and DAGS said it could try to provide cost estimates on adding secure bike parking and showers to new construction if asked. The committee received testimony urging that EV charging stalls be sited within the same county that triggered the requirement; the Energy Office said it does not currently have data on how often installations have been aggregated to different locations and offered to try to find it.

On organic waste (HB751), the committee accepted amendments that change compliance timelines, narrow which facilities count for certain requirements, add a definition of “compostable,” and clarify that benchmarks apply to generators rather than being overall diversion targets. The committee agreed to allow food donation and animal feed to count toward compliance and to simplify reporting by relying on hauler and processor diversion reports rather than requiring each waste generator to report individually.

Votes at a glance: The committee recorded the chair’s recommendation to pass with amendments on the following bills; the roll calls as recorded in committee minutes list the presiding chair and vice chair and Representatives Kahalua, Kush and Quinlan voting “aye,” with Representative Ward excused. The committee adopted technical and clarifying amendments as noted below.

- HB977 (energy financing; HGIA loans): Pass with amendments; recommended appropriation $50,000,000; date defected to 07/01/3000. Vote: 5‑0 (one excused). Notes: Technical edits for clarity and style.

- HB1295 (state/county use of federal energy tax credits): Pass with amendments; date defected. Vote: 5‑0 (one excused).

- HB1051 (energy efficiency portfolio standards): Pass with amendments; technical edits; date defected. Vote: 5‑0 (one excused).

- HB1019 (long‑duration clean energy storage): Pass with amendments; appropriation amounts to be noted in committee report; date defected. Vote: 5‑0 (one excused).

- HB344 (electric‑vehicle charging infrastructure): Pass with amendments; amended to make Hawaii State Energy Office the expending entity for the appropriation and to make the appropriation for one year rather than two; date defected. Vote: 5‑0 (one excused).

- HB733 (electric‑vehicle parking): Pass with amendments; date defected to 07/01/3000. Vote: 5‑0 (one excused).

- HB242 (electric‑vehicle batteries; working group on recycling): Pass with amendments; committee added a battery‑storage industry member and a member with recycling experience (per Hawaii State Energy Office and Redwood Materials requests), added stationary energy storage as a factor for study, extended reporting to 2027 and defected the effective date to 07/01/3000. Vote: 5‑0 (one excused).

- HB1022 (energy industry information reporting): Pass with amendments; adds HIEMA and the Office of Homeland Security to agencies that may review energy industry information statements; date defected. Vote: 5‑0 (one excused).

- HB1017 (repeal greenhouse gas sequestration task force): Pass with amendments; date defected. Vote: 5‑0 (one excused).

- HB787 (decarbonization/buy clean feasibility study): Pass with amendments; committee requested that the Climate Commission and State Procurement Office collaborate on recommended language if the bill advances. Vote: 5‑0 (one excused).

- HB751 (organic waste/composting goals): Pass with amendments; timelines adjusted (Tier 1 timeline moved to 2027; later target dates adjusted to 2040 for certain elimination goals), definitions moved and clarified, duplicative language removed, and reporting mechanics simplified. Vote: 5‑0 (one excused).

Procedural note: Most actions were recorded as the chair’s recommendation to “pass with amendments,” with the chair and vice chair voting ‘‘aye’’ and other named members recorded as voting ‘‘aye’’; Representative Ward was noted as excused for the roll calls reflected in the committee minutes.

What’s next: The committee will include the amended language and appropriation notes in its committee reports; bills that passed will proceed through the legislative process with the technical changes adopted in committee. One measure (HB974) was deferred for a later hearing date.

Ending: The committee recessed at the close of the decision session and adjourned after completing the 9 a.m. agenda. The joint committee later considered HB1365 (Department of Agriculture EIS) and moved that bill forward with a pilot amendment (see separate item).